Looking for advice/ideas for a visually impaired customer

[richy3333]

Hi.
I have a new customer where the wife is visually impaired. Apparently she is registered blind but has severe restricted tunnel vision.

I have the EICR to do next week after which I will be meeting with the couple to discuss the findings and meet the wife. The house has not ben habited for some years and it is apparent from the 1st meeting I had with the husband at the property that a significant amount of electrical work will need to be completed.

Just wondered if anyone could give me any ideas (electrical wise) about anything that can be done to make living in the house easier for the lady? Excluding the obvious like conforming to Building Regs - socket/switch heights for familiarity etc. For example the husband asked about bright lighting (they were thinking of recessed spots). Clearly I'll take my lead from the customer but wondered if you good chaps and chappesses had any bright ideas I could take to the 'table'?

Many thanks.

 

[Richard Burns]

Part M of the building regulations is a good place to start reading as this covers the basics. If you read the bits for non dwellings this gives you information on ease of access.

The primary things are large switches (wide rockers for easy use) contrasting colours of switch and back plate for easy identification.

lighting options could be occupancy or IR beam controlled so that the light comes on on entering the room to avoid looking for light switches in the dark.

All I can think of for the moment. Probably the customer will be much more clued up about these things but you could also talk to the RNIB and see if they have ready made solutions.

 

[richy3333]

Cheers Richard. I've emailed the RNIB for assistance.

 

[a1guvner]

We use the MK Graphite for the contrasting colours

 

[TaffyDuck]

OK here is what I have fitted in a similar situation to yours but the wife was deaf and the husband was almost blind. Hearing loop and a bell-lite which flashes the lights when the doorbell is pressed. If you switch feed the lighting system you can get illuminated plate switches, we also fitted low level LEDs to the hallways as we were advised that often partially sighted people stare at the floor when walking and complain that it is often in shadow from their own bodies. I guess this is subjective but we fitted downlighters in this house and he was unhappy with the standard warm white GU10s so we retro-fitted cool white LEDs which he says are a lot easier to pick out the definition of his surroundings than warm white light.

 

[brman]

I'd check whether they have experience of spots and whether they really do help her vision. The older I get the more I find spots annoying, mostly because for the glare and reflections and shadows they cause. I can't help thinking they will make the floor lighting thing taffy mentioned much worse too.

Give me a nice large diffused source any day!

I could be completely wrong for this condition though!

 

[TaffyDuck]

I'd check whether they have experience of spots and whether they really do help her vision. The older I get the more I find spots annoying, mostly because for the glare and reflections and shadows they cause. I can't help thinking they will make the floor lighting thing taffy mentioned much worse too.

Give me a nice large diffused source any day!


I could be completely wrong for this condition though!

The low level LEDs were lED strips not spots. I guess this is so subjective its going to be hard to get it right.

My only problem is being colour blind!!! ;-)

 

[brman]

The low level LEDs were lED strips not spots. I guess this is so subjective its going to be hard to get it right.

My only problem is being colour blind!!! ;-)

Sorry, yes I wasn't clear. My comment was in relation to the comment that the customer was thinking of recessed spots.

 

[mogga]

remember LED equivelents quoted are"massaged" Halers give a crisp light better than a 50w halogen they do Dimmable ones as well
on the switching I think it was Clipsal or Tenby made big rocker switches as big as the normal plates( we had to get hundreds for a chain of nursing homes as the reidents took delight in pulling the outer plate off One old dear was found to have 20 in her drawer (Klepto mary) they found cutlery ect ect ect hidden after she popped her cloggs
There may be some way to put luminous sticky stuff on socket switches ect Id give your local RNIB a call and ask for information (This may also lead to other work )