Designing for the Life Span Segment 3
Designing for the Life Span Segment 3 
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Vision and Aging: Changes in the human eye that occur progressively include: 1) yellowing of the lens of the eye, 2) increasing opacity of the cornea- contributing to the heightened susceptibility to glare, 3) a yellowing of the supportive fluid (the vitreous humor) inside the eye- altering the color of light that falls upon the retina, and 4) a weakening of the muscle controllers in the eye that shape the lens and alter focus.
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Age related loss of blue sensitivity is not the only change that affects the perception of color and figure ground relationships. Over time, the vitreous humor of the eye yellows and also may lose consistency altering the shape of the eye or developing vitreous "floaters" or amorphous gray blotches in vision. The cornea is exposed to the elements and with less tearing in the eye it is more susceptible to scratching or crazing - dispersing light irregularly to the lens. The lens itself can yellow and harden - usually causing changes in acuity - and the muscle controllers will weaken and have less ability to focus the light passing through the lens.
With some or all of these changes, older adults will begin seeing some figures in color better than others - or at least differently. All color will seem less intense, more gray. Color preferences among older adults show selections of brighter colors than among younger people. People tend to prefer what they can see.
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