Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Hi vis step markers? (self.Blind)
submitted by carranty
Hi all,
My mother's wet AMD has suddenly progressed quite severely and she's having trouble with steps. I've bought some hi-vis yellow paint I'm going to use on the concrete steps in her garden outdoors, but am struggling to think how best to mark her carpeted stair case indoors. I'd like something high vis to mark the top and bottom step. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks all
My mother's wet AMD has suddenly progressed quite severely and she's having trouble with steps. I've bought some hi-vis yellow paint I'm going to use on the concrete steps in her garden outdoors, but am struggling to think how best to mark her carpeted stair case indoors. I'd like something high vis to mark the top and bottom step. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks all
codeplaysleep 1 points 3y ago
For me what helps most with navigating steps is knowing where the edge of the first one is (way more important going down than going up) and knowing how many of them there are.
It could just be me, but steps that have every edge marked can feel visually disorienting/overwhelming when I'm looking at them and trying to visually navigate my way down them. So if I know how many steps there are, I just find the first one and go.
To that end, you could tack down something like $1 along the edge of the first and last step. You could even paint it with a high-contrast/non-slip paint if you wanted to (or if she wants every step marked, you could do that too).
Also, motion-activated ambient lighting (so it doesn't cast weird shadows) around the steps can help a lot.
It could just be me, but steps that have every edge marked can feel visually disorienting/overwhelming when I'm looking at them and trying to visually navigate my way down them. So if I know how many steps there are, I just find the first one and go.
To that end, you could tack down something like $1 along the edge of the first and last step. You could even paint it with a high-contrast/non-slip paint if you wanted to (or if she wants every step marked, you could do that too).
Also, motion-activated ambient lighting (so it doesn't cast weird shadows) around the steps can help a lot.
JynxBJJ 1 points 3y ago
I’m literally blind, still have a lot of site but need a guy to get around kind of vision. I have been navigating the stairs in my house without high viz. tape, and obviously don’t know the extent of her vision loss. If she still has light and dark perception, I would highly recommend an LED rope light strip underneath the handrail on the stairs. My son and I put this in a couple of years ago, and it is amazing how much more confident I am on the stairs. Still hate the damn things though not gonna lie. When all the kids move out my husband and I are going do you move into a place with no stairs I hope.
carranty [OP] 1 points 3y ago
Thanks for the response. Yes she still has fairly good peripheral vision in both eyes, I'll look into the LED strip, thanks for the tip!
dontwriteonme 1 points 3y ago
I'm not exactly sure how her eyesight if affected but I have trouble with stairs as well and we put a little motion trigger night light at the top of the stairs (I still can't really see the actual stairs but it warns me that they are near) and then from there I know that there are 14 steps. Tactile & audio clues help as well like maybe putting some thing like a piece of sandpaper on the handrail to mark where each step is and something fluffy to indicate the last step, for audio you could put a piece of plastic tape on the last step so it crinkles when she steps on it. Also, looking back at your request I wasn't really answering your question of making the steps more visible, but rather gave alternatives to seeing them, my bad, but hopefully some of it might help?
carranty [OP] 2 points 3y ago
Thanks for the response. I hadn't thought of audio/tactile clues but that's a really great idea. She's had progressive wet AMD in both eyes for a while, but had been able to manage okay with both eyes. Unfortunately she had a submacular haemorrhage yesterday and has lost practically all vision in one eye overnight.
The suddenness has taken us both by surprise.
The suddenness has taken us both by surprise.
dontwriteonme 1 points 3y ago
Oh dear, I am so sorry to hear that! She is so lucky to have someone like you who so passionately wants to help her out! When my eyesight took a gnarly dive, music reallyyyyyyyy helped, find out what her favorite tunes are and have it easy for her to access/use. & give her a big hug from me, if she asks who its from you can tell her it's from a VI stranger on the internet lol.
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