The article reviews the history of the development of lighting standards for the visually impaired. Available literature on how different levels of illumination affect visual acuity and visibility among persons with visual impairments is reviewed. Implications of this research for meeting the needs of visually impaired children in the classroom…

The study examined whether individual levels of optimal illumination could be reliably determined for visually impaired adults and whether the level identified in the assessment had validity in relation to a practical reading task. The assessment procedure was found to be reliable and valid and reading performance improved. (Author/DB)

Twelve severely/profoundly retarded multiply handicapped, deaf-blind children (7-18 years old) trained under a black light environment which allowed for removal of distracting stimuli and exaggeration of critical features performed the task they had been taught significantly better than a control group trained under normal light. (Author/CL)

This study investigated the effects of changes in luminance on the oral reading speeds of 13 participants with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and a control group of six age-matched persons with typical vision. For the AMD participants, self-reports of light preferences were also recorded. In the AMD group, reading rates depended on light…

The study assessed variations in the indoor and outdoor locomotor mobility of 22 low-vision adults, under normal and reduced illumination. Subjects' visual fields and contrast sensitivities accounted for 39 percent of the variation in mobility performance, whereas their visual acuities were not related to mobility performance. (Author/JDD)

This study measured the light distribution patterns and the decay in light output of three mobility lights that visually impaired persons can use for night travel: the Wide-Angle Mobility Lights, the Streamlight, and the Mag-Lite. Implications are discussed in terms of selecting the most efficient visual aid for particular usage. (Author/JDD)

This open-ended survey of 156 subjects (78 pairs of visually handicapped orientation and mobility specialists and adult clients) identified common low vision mobility problems (lighting conditions, drop-offs, street crossings, changes in terrain) and found a high degree of agreement between the reported perceptions of mobility practitioners and…

Twelve legally blind men tested two night-vision devices: one wide-angle light and one with a high-intensity beam. The study concluded that no one night light is best for all individuals and in some cases a smaller angle, high-intensity light may be more useful than a wider angle one. (Author/JDD)

A follow-up study of an earlier report on the Wide Angle Mobility Light (WAML) was conducted to analyze the various applications of the device and its reliability. Results indicate high client satisfaction with WAML among test subjects (26 blind male veterans with night blindness, age 32 to 68). (Author/PB)