When Ochanomizu Inouye Eye Clinic was opened, we tried to make universal design-based sign easy to understand for elder or low vision patients. Two hundred and twenty employee and 91 patients of glaucoma, cataract, or elder were examined 4 times about shape of pictograph, color, or size in font of letter and figure, pictograph of toilet, and floor map. They were evaluated by performance measurement, Likert method, and semantic differential method. Font of letter was adopted Rodin, font of figure century gothic, guide sign white letter with blue in the background, floor map type of less information, pictograph of toilet a standard type for men and a wide pleat on a skirt type for women, pictograph of multipurpose toilet type of man and woman upper row. Sign easy to understand for elder or low vision patients was completed from user investigation.

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The present study clarified the influences of heights and widths of steps and the helper's wheelchair operation techniques for navigating them with consideration of the user's riding comfort and helper's physical strain. The height limit of steps that an elderly helper can navigate by pushing the wheelchair without lifting wheels was also investigated. When navigating a concave step from 20 to 40mm wide by pushing the front wheels, the severity of the shock to the user did not increase and subjective evaluation of user's "riding comfort" did not decrease compared with that by lifting the wheels. While navigating a step more than 10mm in height by pushing the front wheels, the subjective evaluation of "easiness of passage" decreased, and the severity of the shock increased compared with that by lifting the front wheels. These findings suggested that when the helper must navigate steps, they should choose an appropriate operation technique (pushing wheels or lifting wheels) according to the shape and dimension of the step.

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