Different door design offering simple solutions to the difficulties people with sight loss experience when using entrances could boost their independence and reduce accidents according to research by the Thomas Pocklington Trust.
In its report, Making an Entrance, the Trust and researchers from Kingston University found 15 ways to make entrances more usable for those with sight loss. Lynn Watson, head of research at the Trust, said when those with sight loss have difficulty getting in and out of their own front door they can end up trapped, isolated and unable to interact with the world.
A questionnaire used to gather the experiences of those with sight loss showed that 74 per cent struggled to adjust to the changes in lighting each side of an exterior door. Four in 10 found handles and locks difficult to see, a quarter identified trip hazards around their home’s doorway while 31 per cent had to cope on steps with poorly defined edges. The report has already been used to create new products and influence better design.