Reginning in 2012, nearly 10,000 Americans will turn 65 every day, and by 2030, 20 percent of the population will have passed their 65th birthday. If you were born between 1946 and 1964, representing 77 million people, you are included in the Baby Boom which is now reaching retirement age. The graying of America will have a big impact on society, the economy, government, housing, the workforce and yes, the lighting industry. Designers, manufacturers and code officials will have to paddle hard to catch that wave in order to deliver for the "golden years." To provide the quality of life and ensure the greatest independence possible for all of us as we age, we must understand the aging process and do what we can to enhance the built environment to ensure healthy aging. As our life span increases, we live longer with age-related disabilities. Sensory loss is common to the normal aging process. Changes to our eyes, in particular, happen so gradually that most people do not realize it until suddenly one day they can no longer read the phone book or they are temporarily unable to see when going from a bright environment to a dark one. Glare, which may be annoying for a younger person, may be blinding to an older person. Much can be done to minimize the impact of age-related vision changes by improving the quantity and quality of light. What follows are some of the broad demographic trends that will affect lighting design for our aging population.
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