If you or someone you know is visually impaired, it is important to make moving around the house as easy as possible. You want to make sure that being home is a place of comfort and safety. When you are remodeling your bathroom, you can make some additions and changes to the room that caters to the individual with a visual impairment. Here are some options that will improve the room.
Colors
One thing you can do to help make the bathroom easier to navigate is to use bright colors. These colors can be used on the walls either with wallpaper or paint, or you can have brightly colored fixtures added to the room, such as a toilet, sink, or tub. Another consideration is to use bright colors around specific things within the room, such as the door frame or the flooring if there is a change between the bathroom floor and the adjoining room. Trip and fall hazards are a concern for older adults and those who do not see as well as they used to.
Motion Sensor
Another addition you can make to the bathroom is to have motion sensors handle some of the things in the bathroom. You can have a motion sensor turn the lights on as soon as someone approaches the room. You can also have motion sensors turn on the water in the sink or flush the toilet. Another way that motion sensors can help is to have things turn off after a certain amount of time of nonuse. This way the bathroom light or running water will not be left on accidentally.
Lighting
A way that you can ensure a safer environment in the bathroom for the visually impaired is to have lighting that brightens up the room. LED bulbs are generally brighter than most other bulbs, so installing these in the bathroom can be a great help. Lighting can be placed everywhere that is necessary. You can put lighting under the cabinets, brighten up the ability to see the floor, add individual lighting around the walls so that there are no dark spots, and even add some lighting in the shower area to help bathing become easier.
Safety Bars
A great way to increase safety in the bathroom is to make sure there are plenty of rails around the room to help steady someone in case they need it. It can be disorienting in the shower, no matter your vision level, if you get soap in your eyes while you are bathing. A railing can give you a sense of orientation and steadiness, which can help prevent falls.
