Proceedings of: Workshop on Improving Building Design for Persons with Low Vision

Issue 16: What environmental and perceptual data on artificial/electric lighting are available from buildings with low vision occupants?

Question by Jim Woods: I do have one more question for Eunice. Is this [RP 28-07 ANSI/IES Standard: Lighting and the Visual Environment for Senior Living] based on some hard data research that was done?

Response by Eunice Noell-Waggoner. Right.

Question by [Participant]: So when somebody comes to you and says, “Show me the study,” that’s the mantra, “show me the study, where is the study,” you can point back –

Response by Eunice Noell-Waggoner. Well, I can say, based on what younger people may need, what the median [values are]. Dr. Allen Lewis – I don’t know if you’re familiar with him – he was on the committee that helped develop it. So we had a lot of experts.

Response by Jeanne Halloin: [The draft standard] had to be reviewed by the technical committee, by us and then rewritten, and it had to be reviewed by the board, and a lot of times we had to substantiate things or take them out. So it went through a lot, and that was before it went through ANSI reviews. So it went through a lot of reviews, which is why it takes that long.

Response by Robert Dupuy: But even so, we have people who, looking at that document, tell us that there’s not enough scientific evidence that low-vision people need more light.

Response by [Participant]: From a federal perspective, there’s a federal law that says we’re supposed to use national standards where appropriate for our needs. So an ANSI standard means that they [are to be used] where we feel appropriate. And because it’s there, it’s a federal law that says we should be adopting those types of standards.

Response by [Participant]: There are lots of people who, for monetary reasons, disagree with that document.