Sunday, May 10, 2009

Typography and the Aging Eye: Typeface Legibility for Older Viewers with Vision Problems

by Paul Nini

The population is rapidly aging and becoming a larger share of the marketplace. Thirteen percent of the population is currently over 65 years old. In 30 years that group will double to 66 million people. People change as they age. Sensory, cognitive and motor abilities decline. The built environment is not typically created with the needs of the aging population in mind. How does the choice of typeface in signage systems, for example, impact the older viewer who is experiencing vision problems typical to that age group? Are certain typefaces more suitable to the aging eye?

Loss of light
Human vision declines with advancing age. Although there are neural losses, the major decline is due to changes in the eye’s optics. The pupil shrinks, allowing less light to enter the eye. The pupil’s response to dim light also... (read the entire article)

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