A key part to maintaining independence when living with CHM‘s vision changes is in learning to adapt your environment, especially at home. Our primary challenges are in lighting and CONTRAST. Many solutions are simple changes. Others might require professionals. It will depend upon where your vision is now and in the future. Here are options that fellow CHMers have found useful.

Adjust the Lighting

• Add floor and table lamps around the living room, dining room, kitchen and bedroom. Clip-on lights can be placed strategically around the house.
• Use lighting that is 60–100 watts. Replace burnt-out bulbs regularly.
• Use adjustable blinds or sheer curtains to allow for natural light throughout the home.
• Experiment with lighting to find out which works best for your individual needs. There is halogen, fluorescent, incandescent or flood lighting. Note: fluorescent light bothers many visually impaired people.
• In case you need additional light at night, keep a flashlight or heavy-duty light on a keychain handy.
• Make sure light is uniform throughout your entire hallway to more easily identify where it curves or ends.

Kitchen Lighting

Well-lit work surfaces can make all the difference in the kitchen. Adding under cabinet LED lighting can make a huge difference. There are DIY kits or contact a professional electrician.

Kitchen of Contrast

In the Kitchen with CHM:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIFtPLtp7zs

Contrast is key in the kitchen. From the color of counter tops to the tools and the plates you use, contrast makes the difference in safety and use. Many of these are available online and locally:

• White and Dark Cutting Boards allow you to chop safely i.e. – white onions chopped on a dark cutting board.
• Knives/Tools Contrast is as simple as choosing tool colors opposite to the color of your counter tops making it easy and safe to find them.
• Large Print Measuring Cups are available in clear and colors that will allow for easy reading when measuring.
• Plates with Borders – White plates with wide color edges make a big difference for someone with low vision to be able to see not only where the plate is but what is on it.
• Avoid using clear glass dishes and cups – they are more difficult to see.

Rearrange the Furniture

Rearranging the furniture in your house can help you avoid injury and move around more easily. You can:

• Place mirrors strategically to avoid glare or reflecting light.
• Keep some chairs near the windows in case you want to read, work or craft in the natural light.
• Arrange furniture close together so that you can easily converse with others.
• When buying new furniture, try to pick upholstery with texture. This will help you more easily identify the different pieces of furniture.
• Place brightly colored vases or lamps near key items of furniture so that you can locate the furniture more easily.

Eliminate Safety Hazards

Feeling safe inside your own home is important. There are a number of things you can do to prevent falls and other injuries. You can:

• Keep desk and table chairs pushed in. Train your family to do the same. All of the time. No exceptions.
• Use non-skid, non-glare products to clean and polish your floors. Avoid waxing floors, which can make floors slippery.
• Remove low-lying coffee tables and end tables that might be trip hazards.
• Make sure electrical cords are removed from pathways or taped down securely so you won’t trip.
• Tape down any area rugs you have and replace any worn carpeting or floor covering.
• Keep all floors dry. Wipe up any spills immediately.
• Install grab bars or safety rails in high-slip areas like your bathroom or stairs.
• Mark step edges with yellow reflective tape so that you can easily identify them.
• Always keep your fire extinguisher and first aid kit in the same, easily accessible, place.
• Make sure all exits are marked with a bright, contrasting color in case of an emergency.
• Check smoke and fire alarms often. Ensure they are loud enough that you can hear them throughout the house.

Tactile Bump Dots

Controls on appliances can be visually hard to see with low vision. But a few strategically placed bump dots change that. Tactile bump dots are small self-adhesive dots that can be placed on appliances to tactilely indicate specific controls to touch or turn. Inexpensive dots come in clear and multiple colors and sizes. For example, putting a dot on a microwave number touch pad on the 1 minute and 30 second buttons allow you to easily set a time and operate the microwave.

Bump dots are great to travel with because you can mark your hotel door or the controls on the coffee pot.