ABSTRACT
A large amount of work has been published on changes in visual functions with age. When, as ergonomists, we try to assess the results of this work, we come across (a) a substantial body of research on the age-related decline of the visual functions; the authors are frequently anatomists and physiologists specialising in optometry or ophthalmology, and psychologists interested in evaluating the performance of the human operator in information gathering; the literature is mostly experimental or clinical and is concerned with the decline of visual functions, so it often pays little attention to the work activity; and (b) a much less widespread trend dealing with age-related changes in visual work, mostly studied by researchers concerned with lighting, who examine the relationship between reading performance and lighting level, along with an occasional ergonomist interested in viewing, visual information gathering in work settings, and more specifically, the acquisition strategies of more experienced workers; in this case, the effect of passing years is not viewed as an ageing process but as the development of skills through experience.
