Lighting is an important consideration for individuals with low vision. It's important to carefully assess what activities you do in each room or area of your home, and then decide if you need more light in each space. It's not always recommended, however, that you put a very high wattage bulb into a fixture or a lamp. Most fixtures have information that provide the maximum recommended wattage limits. Exceeding the recommended wattage could cause fires. In addition, putting a very high wattage bulb into a ceiling fixture will not necessarily produce better working light; in fact, it may increase glare and cause deeper shadows.

To ensure better light in a work area where you may be reading, cooking, or writing bills a “task lamp” is the way to go. It can be either a floor or a table lamp with a flexible arm or gooseneck that allows you to adjust the height and direction of the light and focus it directly on your work area. You should know that to cut the distance between a light source and the task in half [by bringing the light closer to your work] will increase the brightness by four times. Thus, you don’t necessarily need a stronger bulb -- you just need to be able to bring the bulb closer to your work, and a flexible task lamp is ideal for this purpose.