Design for Agile Aging
Disability Exercise

Exercise: Reduced vision

Staff: Steve

Normal symptoms: eyesight is blurred, indistinct

ADLs probably unable to perform: driving, running, reading, watching TV

Emulation: Using the drugstore glasses you’re given, smear a medium-thick coating of Vaseline on both lenses.  You want to be able to see through them, even if not clearly. If you accidentally rub off the Vaseline before the end of eight hours, reapply coating.

Trial activities:

  1. Look around the room, noting familiar faces and objects.  How do they look different?
  2. Notice different colors and sizes of objects.  How does the blurred vision distort their image?
  3. When you walk somewhere, how does your gait change? 
  4. Think about running – would you feel comfortable?
  5. Read a page in a book. What kinds of problems do you notice?
  6. Watch TV.  What can you see clearly?
Report:
Did you develop a headache during the 8 hours?
How did your eyes try to adjust to your disability? How did you compensate for the reduced vision? What did you find you couldn’t compensate for? 
How did you respond to the frustration?
If this were a permanent condition, what kinds of devices would you want to help you function?