Adjust Lighting for Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired

Adjust Lighting & Reduce Glare

School and classroom environmental adaptations can help the student who is blind or visually impaired move safely and efficiently through their environment. A student's need for adaptations to the environment depends on their visual impairment and any additional disabilities. It is important to understand each student’s visual diagnosis and the implications with regard to functional vision to make the appropriate adaptations in order to maximize the student's use of vision.

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

Some students with visual impairments will need adjustments to the lighting to minimize the negative impact of their visual impairment. Depending on the student's visual needs, the student may need additional lighting or reduced lighting.

Not all students in the classroom will have the same needs as lighting that is comfortable to one person may not be comfortable to another person. The following suggestions will help you discover ways to reduce glare and make lighting adaptations. Keep in mind that each student will have their own unique visual needs and you will need to adjust accordingly.

Reducing Glare

The ideal situation is for light to be distributed on the visual task in equal amounts from all angles with none of it reflected back toward the face.
Reduce glare from windows and lights, as much as possible (using blinds, shades, curtains, etc.)
Cover shiny tabletops with light-absorbing materials. Also, avoid shiny surfaces on pages, desks, and blackboards.
Yellow filters or acetate can be placed over work (these can be specially ordered or you can use yellow tinted portfolio covers and are available at office supply stores).
When choosing paper, avoid a glossy finish as it can lessen legibility and can produce glare.

Classroom Illumination

Picture of classroom with bright lighting

For students that need higher levels of lighting to see best, consider using task lighting. When using task lighting, light directed on the task should come from opposite the dominant hand and directed only onto the task. Other students may be sensitive to high levels of light and the lighting will need to be controlled to assist them in using their vision. Lamps with controls to vary the intensity of light (a rheostat control) can provide the additional or dimmed illumination.

Lighting should be of sufficient clarity to enable the student to see materials and to perform the necessary visual tasks in the most comfortable visual environment.
Depending on the student’s visual needs, lighting may need to be increased or decreased. Any extra light should be diffused and indirect in order to minimize glare.
When talking, the teacher or instructor needs to position themselves so that the student is not looking toward windows or other light sources.
Students who are light sensitive (have photophobia) may need to block out some of the light and glare around them.
Permit students who are sensitive to light to wear a hat or a visor to help reduce glare and visual discomfort.

Fluorescent Lighting

Disperses light evenly over a wide area
May produce fewer glare spots because of even lighting.
Louvers, banners or grills can be placed over ceiling lights to minimize glare.
Light remains cool even at close distances.
Can flicker increasing eye strain over time.
May increase glare for those with cataracts/corneal problems.

Incandescent Lighting

Yellow, more direct light.
Best for close work, such as sewing or reading.
Easily Tolerated.
Not bright enough for some.
Light can become hot over prolonged use or with higher wattage.

Full Spectrum

Brighter, cleaner light for some.
Includes full spectrum of color.
Closest to natural sunlight.
Best used in swing-arm lamps that can direct lighting onto
Not readily available.

Halogen Lighting

Best used in lamps that focus light in very specific areas.
Enhances contrast between print and background for some.
Very bright, intense, and white.
More energy efficient than incandescent.
Can be too bright for some, causing glare.
Not for prolonged use; generates a lot of heat.

Additional Resources...

Make Great Light sells NaturaLux fluorescent classroom light filters. Fluorescent lighting can output a lot of glare that can lead to eyestrain and visual fatigue. Great Light's filters remove 100% of the glare from overhead lighting as well as provide full spectrum light, which is also important for visual acuity. They covert harsh fluorescent light to full spectrum lighting, filter out UV and eliminate glare.

Blue Waves Professional eye health forum is an independent digital platform site providing international information and discussion groups on eye health and how general health may be affected by the blue light produced from artificial lighting sources and electrical device screens.

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