Visual stress

We encounter visual fatigue and over stimulation often in our day to day lives. Think of navigating through a busy high street or trying to find a small passage in a heavily worded document. More recent animations have lots of fast moving images and overlapping patterns, which can be visually fatiguing. 

This is what we refer to as “visual fatigue”. It is important to take this into account alongside magnification and lighting advice. 

What can I do to reduce my child’s visual fatigue? 

  • Take regular small breaks rather than just one prolonged break after working
  • Look at books with well spaced font 
  • Utilise headings, bold print and breaks in text
  • Don’t start a visually demanding task after homework or a stressful period 
  • Touch typing
  • Reducing glare, e.g. black text on pale yellow backgrounds 
  • Using a typoscope (available from the RNIB shop)