Enhancing Home Lighting for People with Visual Impairments

1. Lighting for people with sight loss Anthony Slater Lighting Development Manager Thomas Pocklington Trust

2. Summary • Pocklington lighting research • Practical adaptations • Guidance and tools

3. Pocklington Research • The housing needs of people with sight loss (Bartlett – University College London): • People aged over 65 • People ‘of working age’ • Identified importance of lighting • Lighting for people with sight loss (University of Reading): • Questionnaires and surveys of installed lighting

4. Lighting in homes of people with sight loss – common findings • Low levels of lighting • shadows • stairs • Glare from light fittings • direct view of lamp • Adaptation to different light levels • when moving from room to room • Poor control – switching / dimming • Lack of information on improvements

5. Lighting at home – approach • Visits to homes of people with sight loss • Discussions with user – establish user needs • Assessments of existing lighting • Proposals for lighting changes • Tailored to individual’s needs • Agreed with user • Installation • Evaluation

6. Implementation and evaluation • Implemented in over 100 Pocklington properties • Tenanted flats and houses • Residential care home • Positive evaluations meeting tenant’s needs • “…very satisfied……a great improvement” • “…lighting changes have helped a lot with the glare” • “…lighting is now flexible” • “…totally over the moon with it”

7. Good general and task lighting

8. Hallway and stairs • General lighting • Good level • No glare • Reveal steps • Task lighting • Telephone • Good contrasts • Surfaces

9. Hallways

10. Kitchens

11. Bathrooms

12. Bedrooms

13. Cupboards and wardrobes

14. Lighting - Top tips • Tasks and movement around the home • Amount of light • Control – switching and dimming • Diffuse, even lighting, no dark shadows • Multiple light points • No glare – no direct view of lamp

15. Lighting - Top tips for adaptations • Avoid disruption to decoration • Use existing fixed wiring points • Add lighting track for additional ceiling lights • Use existing electrical sockets for task lights • Use micro-trunking for wiring if needed • Convert existing twin sockets to triples

16. Pocklington Design Guide • Habinteg Housing Association • Published April 2008 by IHS BRE Press • Endorsed by • Chartered Institute of Housing • College of Occupational Therapists • Society of Light and Lighting • Housing Corporation

17. Kitchens • Efficient layout • Units and worktops • Doors and handles • Colour and contrast • Matt surfaces • Appliances • Controls • Lighting • General and task

18. Lighting booklet • Non-technical information • Lamps and light fittings • General lighting • Task lighting • Daylight - shading • Further sources of help

19. Good practice guide • Practical guidance • Adaptations • Involving people • Specific spaces • Indoors and outside • Checklists

20. Lighting good practice guide • Lighting in new and existing homes • Guidance on specification • Case studies • Checklists

21. Lighting training • One day workshop • Lamps & fittings • Demonstrations • Practical exercises • Case studies • Design tools

22. Pocklington services • Forthcoming publications • Lighting implementation guide • Lighting training • Specifying adaptations • Consultancy • Audit existing buildings • Review designs for new developments

23. Summary • Pocklington lighting research • Practical adaptations • Guidance and tools

24. Contact details Anthony Slater Lighting Development Manager Thomas Pocklington Trust anthony.slater@pocklington-trust.org.uk www.pocklington-trust.org.uk