Graphic, Alt= Lacy Gold Wall Clock, Showing Time 1:40

Slide 1

If I had fewer than 60 minutes to tell you about lighting for people with low vision, what would I say?

Graphic, Alt= Lacy gold wall clock, showing time 1:40.

Slide 2

This presentation is the intellectual property of the American Printing House for the Blind. Itmay not be copied, distributed, or presented without the written consent of the AmericanPrinting House for the Blind. Please contact Elaine Kitchel at (800) 223-1839 Ex:313 forpermission or discussion.

Graphic, Alt=APH logo

Slide 3

The FIRSTthing you should know is:

•Cool white* fluorescent lights,

•Full spectrum lights,

•Daylight tubes and bulbs,

are all destructive to the human retina.

•These are code words for "high in blue

and Ultraviolet emissions."

They provide especially miserable conditionswhen used by most people with low vision.

Graphic, Alt= Drawing of cool white twisty fluorescent lamp.

Slide 4

In fact, after just four minutes of exposure to

•Cool white lights,

•Full-spectrum lights, or

•Daylight tubes and bulbs,

Retinal cells begin to die.

There is a push on by the lighting industry to sell these products.

Graphic, Alt= Blue white light-emitting diode (LED)

Graphic, Alt= Man with look of disbelief on his face

Slide 5

Visible light comes in three colors only, red, green and blue.

Chart, Alt= The words Red, Green, and Blue are shown in a column on the left. To the right of each word is a wavyline in the specific color denoted. These 3 lines show that red light waves are long, green light waves are shorter, andblue light waves are very short. (There is less space between the peaks of the waves)

Slide 6

When these colors overlap, see what happens?

Photo, Alt= Three pools of light are projected on a white brick wall. Where blue and red overlap our brains interpretthe overlapping area as magenta. Where red and green overlap, our brains interpret it as yellow. Where green andblue overlap, our brains interpret the result as aqua, also known as cyan.Where all three overlap, our brainsinterpret it as white.

Slide 7

Every peak of a light wave demands one unit of work by each photoreceptor. Two trillion blue light wavescan fit into the same moment asone red light wave. That is 2,ooo,ooo,ooo,ooo, with twelve zeroes.

Slide 8

A comparison of one second of red light toone second of blue light, is like one grain of sandcompared to a whole mountain of sand.

Photo, Alt= human finger on which is balanced 1 tiny grain of sand

Photo, Alt= Sand hill that is 350 feet high

Slide 9

How hard do we want diseasedor damaged eyes to work? 1 unit per moment or 2 trillion per moment?

Photo, Alt= human finger on which is balanced 1 tiny grain of sand

Photo, Alt= Sand hill that is 350 feet high

Slide 10

We can control this. We can absolutely decide how much work we want the retina to do!Then we can provide the right lighting for it.

Photo, Alt= a man with very large protruding eyes. He has a thought bubble above his head that encapsulates theupper case letters OMG!

Slide 11

It all hangs on our choice of lights for our own or our students' usage.

Photo, Alt = Four clusters of LED lights. From left to right the first one labeled "WarmWhite2700K-3500K" gives off a distinctly pinkish glow. The second, labeled "Natural White4000K-4SOOK" gives offmore of a white to slightly purplish glow. The third, labeled "DayWhite SOOOK-SSOOK" give of a distinctly bluish light. The last, labeled "Cool White 6000K-7000K" gives offmore ultraviolet light but that is difficult to tell by the color of the emissions.

Note: I disagree with the characterization of 4000K-4500K as "natural white." According to human neurological response, "natural white" should be 3200K-to 3900K.

Slide 12

So remember this:

Grover, I've told you a thousand times

Blue BAD! Red GOOD!

Cartoon, Alt= Caveman on left, cavewoman on right pointing at him.

Slide 13

Long before cell death there is glare, the build-up within the eye of the by-products ofphotoreception.

Graphic, Alt= two arrows, one curves upward and points to the word "Glare." The other arrowcurves downward and points to the words "Disability Glare."

Photo, Alt=Filters with yellow lenses

Photo, Alt= Filters with pink lenses

Slide 14

Disability Glare:

Bullet - unable to see

Bullet - painful sensation

Bullet - need for sugar

Bullet - Inability to concentrate

Bullet - Inability to accommodate (focus)

Bullet – headache

Photo, Alt= child squinting in bright light

Slide 15

Research shows that 4 minutes of exposure toblue light alone causes inhibition of the eye tomake cytochrome oxidase.

Graphic, Alt= 2-part molecule labeled "Cytochrome oxidase"

Graphic, Alt= Cartoon drop of water

This enzyme, cytochrome oxidase, is essential tothe transport of oxygen and water from one cellto another within the eye. Without oxygen,

retinal cells start to die. (Ham & Ruffolo, 1982)

Slide 16

Cell Death is Permanent. Retinal cells are not replaceable.

Photo, Alt= thin section, microscopic view of rods and cones. Two rods and one cone are shown near death. This isvisible because parts of the cells have disappeared and can be compared with nearby cells that are whole.

Slide 17

Here is what's wrong with cool white, daylight and full spectrum tubes.

Chart 1, Alt= spectral emissions of sunlight. Red emissions are exceeded slightly by green emissions, but emissionsfor blue and ultraviolet drop to half that of the red emissions.

Chart 2, Alt= spectral emissions from an incandescent lamp. Red emissions are very great and them taper off, greenemissions are one-third that of the red emissions, blue emissions are one-eighth that of red emissions, andultraviolet emissions are one-tenth that of red emissions.

Chart 3, Alt= spectral emissions from cool white fluorescent tube. Red emissions are almost half of what greenemissions are. Blue emissions exceed green emissions by one-tenth. Ultra violet emissions are the same amount asthe red emissions. The large amounts of blue and ultraviolet emissions make this lamp inappropriate for almosteveryone.

Slide 18

Blue and ultraviolet light comprise the primary emissions from cool white tubes, daylighttubes and full-spectrum tubes and lamps. These blue and UV emissions cause the retina towork 2,000,000,000,000 times per second more than light from the red end of thespectrum.

Photo, Alt= a cool white fluorescent tube that is turned on and reflecting light offa dark wall.

Slide 19

This is better for everyone!

Photo, Alt= supermarket produce department lit with warm white tubes, 3000K.

Slide 20

During school hours blue and ultraviolet emissions from cool white anddaylight/full-spectrum tubes are added to the normally green light environment. Itchanges normal circadian rhythms and confuses the brain. It can make you sleepyin the daytime and wide-awake at night.

Photo, Alt= Young man leaning back in his office chair with his feet propped on hisdesk drawer, is sound asleep in the middle of the day.

Slide 21

We can control how much blue light we and our students are exposed to through the use ofgood ergonomic lighting and paint options.

Photo, Alt= Classroom with pink walls, white ceiling, natural wood plank floor, and greenblackboards. Natural light flows in from a large window.

Slide 22

So how can I tell the blue ones from the red ones? They all look just alike. READ the CODE.

Photo, Alt= Code on fluorescent tube says "Sylvania, Pentron 4100K, 54W, FPS54/8-41/HO/ECO, Italy"

Slide 23

There's a scale called the Kelvin Scale thatconverts color into numeric values.

The higher the Kelvin number, the more bluethe tube or bulb is.

2800° Kelvin is in the pink range.

3000° Kelvin is the yellow range.

3500° Kelvin is in the green range.

4100° Kelvin and higher is in the blue toultraviolet range.

Slide 24

Kelvin codes on bulbs and tubes will be converted to a simple 28, 30, 36,41, 46, 50, 61, 67 at the very end of the code on the tube or bulb.

You only have to read the final two numbers or letters.

So the code 32/TB/C/28 would be a tube with a pinkish glow.

And the code 16/T4/CF/61 would be a tube that shines like the polar sun on snow at midday,called "high blue."

Slide 25

Sometimes they use letter abbreviations at the very end of the code:

Chart, Alt= 3 headings, Blue, Yellow, and Red.

BLUE 41 and higher, or letters CW, D, FS, DW; YELLOW 31 to 35, or letters SP35 or SPX35; RED 30 and lower, or lettersWW, SP27, SPX27, SP30, or SPX30.

Slide 26

Physiologically speaking, almost everything we thought we knew about color theoryis incorrect. REALLY?

Photo, Alt= A child grabs her cheeks and says "Oh!" in an expression of disbelief.

Slide 27

Tests on human beings show blue is not soothing; it is irritating to our nervous systems. The waves,wind and sounds arewhat relax us, not the color.

Photo, Alt= Blue sky reflects on the ocean waves that gently wash ashore on the coast ofAmerican Samoa.

Slide 28

Yellow is not stimulating; it makes the neurological state more serene.Dining Room at Monticello.

Photo, Alt= Bright dining room, painted yellow, with white wooden arches, hickory french doors and hardwoodfloors. Tables are set with white china and lace-edged tablecloths.

Slide 29

Red is not irritating nor does it promote aggression,it is calming to our neurological-systems.

Photo, Alt= modern office space. Five cubicles are seen furnished with white desks and shelves, black office chairs.The walls are painted red, but not an intense one. There are light hardwood floors and large, bright windows withwhite blinds that cover them.

Slide 30

Salmon Pink is the most relaxing color as proved by the University of Mississippi in 1987.

Photo, Alt= Jail cell in Mississippi. The cinder block walls are painted pink. The bed is painted pink. The floor is naturalterra cotta tile. A corrections officer stands in a corner with his hands behind his back.

Slide 31

And Rochester, NY prison system.

Photo, Alt= Jail cell as seen through steel bars. The room and all it's furnishings are painted pink. Only a cabinet has asurface that is not painted pink.

Slide 32

It is physically impossible to maintain anger and/or violence in the presence of large areas of Baker-Miller pink.

Photo, Alt= a man in pink and white striped prison garb sleeps in a completely pink cell. Text is superimposed on thephoto. It reads, "This shade of pink is meant to make you calm." Another field has text that reads "After painting aholding cell Baker-Miller pink in 1979, a naval correctional center reported a drastic decrease in violent incidents."

Another field says "Learn more at curiosity.com."

Source: National Geographic, Cabinet Magazine.

Slide 33

So why don't we use it? At home ...

Photo, Alt= Modern living room is painted very light pink with a white ceiling. Furniture is very modern, cubic andlow. It is hard to tell if it is white or pink because of the pink glow in the room. There are two narrow windowscovered with Venetian blinds.

Slide 34

At School ...

Photo, Alt= Here is a school room painted light pink. It has a bookcase painted darker pink and one that is naturaloak. A light birch table and chairs are situated in the middle of the room. Light pours in from a window above thepink bookcase. The overall effect is very soothing.

Slide 35

Even at work!

Photo, Alt= An office cubicle is papered with black and white wall paper with medallion designs. A pink area rugcovers the floor. On the translucent glass dividers that separate the work spaces, there is a broad pink, painted stripe

and the company logo. Pink daisies decorate the desk.

Slide 36

We owe our students and colleagues optimally lit environments.

Photo, Alt=classroom with one large pink wall, one grey wall, green area rug, and hardwood floor. Desks are blue,yellow and pink. There are banks of fluorescent or LED lights in the white ceiling.

Slide 37

How can we do that?

Bullet- Pink and yellow filters

Bullet- UV film on windows

Bullet- "Kool" hats and headwear

Bullet- Replace cool, daylight, and full spectrum tubes with warm white. That is 3000K or lower.

Photo, Alt= filters with yellow lenses

Photo, Alt= clip on filters, pink

Photo, Alt= two light fixture, one emits cool white light, the other emits warm white light

Slide 38

APH Lighting Guide Kit offers perfect lighting for work and study.

Graphic, Alt= Montage of photos of the lamp in the APH Lighting Guide Kit, the book "What Teachers of Studentswith Visual Impairments Need to Know About Lighting," and the spare bulb that fits the lamp.

Slide 39

Changes to the environment can be very helpful.

Cover blue walls with pink, beige, yellow, gold, coral, salmon, pumpkin, rose, or tan.

Photo, Alt= A young woman is applying wallpaper to a wall. The paper is a pink and white design. There is a ladderand a table with painting supplies.

Slide 40

Current Thinking in Lighting Applications:

Blue is for YOU! NOT!

Photo, Alt= Young man with an expression of disbelief on his face.

Slide 41

Modern Classroom lit with Daylight Tubes 6100K

Photo, Alt= This photo illustrates the use of tubes that emit a lot of blue and ultra violet light. Even thought the wallsare white, the look somewhat blue. Even though the tables are white, they also look a light blue gray. The light graycarpet looks somewhat blue as well. A few hours in this environment will cause most of the humans to suffer fromglare effects.

Slide 42

Neutrally lit Classroom 3200K

Photo, Alt= This is a neutrally lit classroom at APH. The walls are a pale yellow. The ceiling is white. In it are severalbanks of 3200K fluorescent tubes. The two large windows are covered with beige venetian blinds. The chairs are darkblue.

Slide 43

Warmly Lit Classroom 2700K

Photo, Alt= This is a warmly lit classroom the walls are light pink. The furniture and floors are light poplar wood. Thelights are 2700K tubes and bulbs. The children's resting area is covered with a pink canopy so that light that comesthrough is very relaxing.

Slide 44

Perfect Classroom Environment

This classroom environment is lit with warm white tubes, and is painted in a color that reflects only red light into theeyes. This kind of environment is very comfortable for learners. When teachers and parents strive to make classroomenvironments better, students work longwr with better results (Kitchel, 2002). * Photo by Jason Metter/Blue Fruit

Photo, Alt= Shows the exact same photo as the previous slide.

Slide 45

Use your new knowledge to make the world a better place.

She's counting on you.

Photo, Alt= This is my little niece, Adrianna. She has Staargardt's disease, just like me. She is five years old, has twolong, blonde ponytails, and a big, chipmunk smile. She wears little silver framed glasses and a red dress with flowerson it.