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

Roberta Null, Ph.D., ASID. Training for Blind and Low Vision Persons: Color Contrast

Center for the Blind

I did a lot of work years ago teaching kitchen design, and found out about the Center for the Blind in San Diego (slide 1), which was right off of our campus at San Diego State [University].

It started out as a student project. I think that that’s one of the things that we don’t do enough of, and that is involving students.

This was an example of involving students in learning about the low-vision elderly group that really use the Center for the Blind. And, in fact, it changed their lives.

Activity Room (slide 2)

The color contrast wasn’t quite that bright when we first did this, but they put it and they seemed to like it. And it works for them.

This was a project that was done with very little money. The Bola chairs were donated by Norm Polsky from Pictures Furniture. They still look as good now as they did. This was 1984 that we did this. And we got 50 Bola chairs. And they still look great.

Hallway (slides 3 and 4)

And the highway – or the hallway – it sort of looks like a highway, doesn’t it? They added [wayfinding arrows] at each room (slide 4). The only complaint that they’ve had about it is that the dog hair from the seeing-eye dogs shows up on the blue contrast.

One of the things I learned when I one time went through the Lighthouse in New York City, that they paint the doors that they don’t want people to use, like the janitor’s closet, a solid color that contrasts with the other.

Training Kitchens (slides 5 – 9)

Main Teaching Kitchen (slides 5 – 7)

This is the [main teaching] kitchen. We got an ASID national award for the training kitchens, because one of the things that I discovered in working with this is that most blind rehab centers are really geared up to rehab young totally blind people. And so their kitchen is usually a little one-wall kitchen that maybe would accommodate two people.

And this is probably one of the biggest [features of the kitchen] facilities and blind center; and the reason being that with older low-vision people, activities of daily living is their main [interest], I mean, they’re not going to go work in an office when they’re 85. But they might learn to live independently.

Another thing that I learned in doing this project is that kitchen-design firms are always changing their displays. And so they were replacing their Formica kitchen and putting in mauve countertops and white oak. This was in the ‘80s. So I asked them if they’d like to donate the old kitchenette, and they did (slide 8). And actually, it was sort of like dark Formica. They have replaced the cabinet doors since then.

And so that’s one of the reasons for the bright colors. I mean, it really shows a lot of contrast. The Bola stools [are] very satisfactory and really wonderful for their elderly population.

Notice the contrast with the light switches (slides 5, 6, 8and 9) . That was one of the students that volunteered that information. It doesn’t cost anything. I mean, you just buy brown ones and then you buy some cream-colored ones, and you just alternate them.

Corner Teaching Kitchen (slide 8)

[The] corner kitchen (slide 8) has the 30-inch-high countertops, and [has been] re-designed for wheelchair users. They can also sit at a regular chair and work here.

This was Corian that we had donated, and they put this little strip of blue as a contrast. And it has a gas range. So we said, “Well, wouldn’t that be dangerous to put a gas range?” These people are going back to houses where they have gas, so they need to learn to use it safely. And, of course, that’s one of the big projects.

And this [is] a single-handled faucet and the light for the hot-water tap next to it (slide 9). This one is very easy to use. A lot of the hot-water taps you have to turn and twist, which are not good for elderly people. A lot of these things are 15 years old. The sink is. The faucet is. It was given to us by KWC.

Model Apartment (slides 10 and 11)

We put in a model apartment. The window goes out into the hallway (slide 10). There’s [also] a window from the kitchen area out into the hallway so you could see in to see what’s going on. This is a grooming area that they put in (slide 10).

Behind the tall cabinet to the right, is the Murphy bed (slide 11). It folds down, and they can use it to teach bed making. Or if someone gets sick, you know, during the day, you know, there’s a place where they can lie down.

These were the orange plastic chairs that we started out with (slides 10 and 11). But these were some that were older and are used in the center.

We were given a washer and dryer by Whirlpool. The only problem was there wasn’t any place to connect it. So when they remodeled about five years, six years ago, they were able to get the washer and dryer in the apartment.

Post ADA Signage (slide 12)

And then the signage, of course, it was on the door, and that was before ADA passed even. This was ‘80s. So now they’ve got really redundant signage on the bathroom doors.

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