Lighting Tips

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Night-blindness is a part of Usher syndrome. However, it can become a much bigger issue during the winter months with the longer darker evenings, and especially when the clocks go back an hour as Daylight Saving Time ends. 

We’ve put together some tips here, for you or your child, to help brighten these evenings up again: 

Sensor lights 

Sensor lights are particularly useful in many situations, and especially as it doesn't require you to find a light switch in the dark with no more bumping into things in the process.

• An outdoor sensor light by your front door can feel welcoming when returning home on a dark evening. But more importantly, it can help you to find your way to the front door, and also help with finding keys and unlocking the door. 
• An indoor sensor light in hallways and on landings can be useful for you or your child when needing to use the bathroom at night. 

Lamps 

Many soft lamps around the room can work better than one strong overhead light especially in living areas, as it helps to highlight many areas of the room. The softer light may also be easier on the eyes allowing them to rest a little in the evenings after a long day. 

Torch

Keeping  a small yet strong, battery-powered/rechargeable torch in a bag/backpack can be a good idea, especially if you need to search for something in your bag. or if there's a power cut or an emergency when out and about.

Task Lighting

A task lamp with an adjustable arm can make it easier to move the lamp into the best position to suit your need whether you are reading, sewing, or doing other activities. A small portable version could be used to place on a table when eating out in places where the lighting may not be sufficient to your needs.       

Smart Lighting

Smart lighting are so useful in that you can adjust the setting at anytime to suit your preference throughout the day and night via an app on your phone or by using a smart home assistant.

Kitchen

Many find LED lights underneath overhead cupboards can light up work spaces really well especially when prepping meal. These lights don’t need to be complicated to install as battery-powered versions are available and they can be easily placed anywhere.  

For kitchen spotlights, we recommend checking the width angle covered by the bulb as some bulbs can cover a wider angle than others meaning less dark pockets in the room. 

Got some more tips for us? Send them to us at contact@usherirland.org and we will add them here.