Causes of Blindness Vary for Older Adults

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Q. What’s the No. 1 cause ofblindness in older adults in the United States?

A. “It sounds like a simple question, but there’s no perfect answer,” said Dr. Susan Vitale, a research epidemiologist at theNational Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health. “It depends on age, how blindness is measured and how statistics are collected.” For example, some studies have relied on the self-reported answer to the vague question: “Do you have vision problems?”

Universal Design (UD) is an approach to design that increases the potential for developing a better quality of life for a wide range of individuals. It is a design process that enables and empowers a diverse population by improving human performance, health and wellness, and social participation (Steinfeld and Maisel, 2012). It creates products, systems, and environments to be as usable as possible by as many people as possible regardless of age, ability or situation.