LVDC Design Guidelines for the Visual Environment Now Available for Public Comment

Review Period Ends April 4

The National Institute of Building Sciences Low Vision Design Committee (LVDC) has released a draft of Design Guidelines for the Visual Environment for public review and comment. The 60-day review period closes April 4, 2014.

The first of its kind in the United States, the Guidelines will provide assistance to design professionals and others in accommodating a growing segment of the population who live with the spectrum of vision disorders contributing to low vision. All stakeholders are invited to provide comments on the document.

The Guidelines address planning and design of a building and facility site, including features used to access the building or facility, such as walkways and pathways, stairs and ramps; interior spaces, including finish materials and fixed and moveable furniture; and lighting design, including the use of daylighting and electrical lighting. It contains chapters on general design principles; site and landscape design; and architecture, interior and lighting design.

"Through the Institute's process of public review, the Low Vision Design Committee expects to be able to refine the Design Guidelines for the Visual Environment before its official public release for use by designers," said James E. Woods, Ph.D., P.E., the committee's chairperson. "We encourage everyone to make comments, suggestions and edits to the draft. We also hope that reviewers will be able to contribute supporting information, such as published data, to help us validate the accuracy of the content."

The Guidelines were developed by the LVDC with generous support from the Hulda B. and Maurice Rothschild Foundation and the James H. McClung Lighting Research Foundation.

Persons interested in reviewing the Guidelines can obtain a copy on the Institute's website. Please submit comments by using the "Track Changes" function in Word, marking up the draft or providing other written forms of comments to Stephanie Stubbs on or before April 4, 2014.

Download the Guidelines.