From the size of work surfaces to the way the windows open, the shape and feel of thermostat controls and the way rooms are lit, a revolutionary new guide from Thomas Pocklington Trust details over a hundred ways that good housing design can improve the lives of people with poor sight.

The guide 'Housing for People with Sight Loss – A Thomas Pocklington Trust Design Guide' – is the first comprehensive guidance to draw on extensive research with visually impaired people.

It is being launched as part of the 50th anniversary of Thomas Pocklington Trust.

"Lifetime Homes" standards were recently cited in a government commitment to housing that helps people adapt as they age. But current "lifetime homes" standards focus on problems associated with physical disability, such as the use of wheelchairs, while sensory disabilities are largely left uncovered. The Pocklington Design Guide seeks to fill the gap by delivering the most up-to-date and detailed recommendations for designing better homes for coping with sight loss - a problem that millions of people already experience because of the affects of ageing.


"Despite the present trend for inclusive design, there is currently no comprehensive published guidance for the design needs of those with sensory rather than physical disabilities. This guidance fills that gap for people with poor sight," said Anthony Slater, Thomas Pocklington Trust Lighting Development Manager.

While few people are completely blind, some 2 million in the UK have sight loss that affects their everyday life. In addition, there are 13 million over the age of 60, many of whose sight has diminished through the inevitable effects of ageing.

The guide, aimed at architects, designers, builders and others involved in housing, covers every aspect of making a home easier and safer to live in. Full of practical recommendations, it shows how to design out potential obstacles by considering such things as the way doors open, the shape of hall turns, and the type of hinges that will best reduce hazards. It highlights the use of texture and contrast, and explains the need to avoid high shine surfaces which cause glare. It offers simple solutions to the problems of wayfinding, how to use light to enhance low-levels of sight, and the best shapes and sizes of controls, handles, and taps.

Baroness Kay Andrews, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Communities and Local Government, has welcomed the guide, writing in the Foreword: "As our society ages, the prevalence of sight loss will inevitably increase. We must make sure that the houses we build in the future all enable people with sight loss to live safely and comfortably at home for as long as possible."

Reiterating the government's commitment to "inclusive design" she said that it should be "reflected in all forms of housing investment – whether affordable homes or market sector housing".

She added: "This technical guide is part of that process to ensure that housing promotes greater opportunity for all."

(JM/KMcA)