Otago Polytechnic occupational therapy principal lecturer Mary Butler said the six-week project would provide individual lighting prescriptions for up to 50 residents.
Six first-year occupational therapy students had volunteered to work with four third-year students who were undertaking placements in low vision, Dr Butler said.
The students would use a Lux IQ light meter to measure individual site impairments and the effects of different lighting options.
"From there we can prescribe the correct lighting intensity and the filter or colour of light required to mitigate each person’s impairment."
A person in their 60s needed three times as much light as someone in their 20s, but household lighting was rarely adjusted to match an occupant’s needs, Dr Butler said.
"Most people are sent home from their ophthalmologist with the message that there is nothing that can be done.
"But there are many small things that can make a real difference to how people live."
The students would also teach the project participants how to understand and meet their individual lighting requirements, Dr Butler said.
"A range of bulbs and task lighting are available from big hardware stores, so there’s ready access to these solutions here in Dunedin."
Project participants were found through services including Age Concern and the Visual Impairment Charitable Trust Aotearoa.
The funding was provided by Otago Science Into Action, a partnership group involving Ngai Tahu, the Otago Museum, New Zealand International Science Festival, University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic.
Otago Polytechnic first-year occupational therapy student Meg Barnard said she was attracted to the project because it offered basic solutions which could significantly improve people’s lives.
"Being an occupational therapy student, I’m interested in enabling people to be able to improve the quality of their lives and their engagement in the world using everyday tools."