Design for Improving Visual Accessibility: Appropriate Contrast for Older People and People with Low Vision

EasyChair Preprint 13690

Abstract

Contrast is a very important factor when improving visibility, especially for older adults and people with low vision. 
 An experimental study was conducted to clarify how much luminance con-trast is necessary in visual signs for older people and people with low vision, using pattern displays with a simple border, squares and stripes consisting of square wave patterns.
A total of 80 people, including older people, people with low vision and, as comparison, younger people without any vision impairments, participated in the experiment.
Older people and people with low vision generally need a higher contrast than younger people do. In particular, some patterns with high spatial fre-quencies were found to be less visible to older people and people with low vi-sion than to younger people.
It was also found that people with low vision prefer to see in negative con-trast than in positive contrast.
The results of this study can be used for designing buildings, signs, and the outside environment with the goal of increasing visibility for older people and people with low vision.

Keyphrases: accessible design, contrast, low vision, older people, standard

@booklet{EasyChair:13690,
  author    = {Nana Itoh and Ken Sagawa},
  title     = {Design for Improving Visual Accessibility: Appropriate Contrast for Older People and People with Low Vision},
  howpublished = {EasyChair Preprint 13690},
  year      = {EasyChair, 2024}}