Understanding Low Vision: Why Organization is Key to Maximizing Visual Energy

Guest Blog featuring Kristen L. Shifflett, Occupational Therapist

At Systems by Susie, we believe that effective home organization should be both functional and inclusive. As professional organizers, it’s important that we tailor our systems to meet the unique needs of every client—including those with low vision, limited mobility, or neurodivergent conditions like ADHD. That’s why we’re excited to feature this guest blog from Kristen Shifflett, an occupational therapist specializing in low vision rehabilitation at the Wilmer Eye Institute. 

In this post, Kristen shares helpful tips for organizing a home for someone with low vision. Her advice shows how small, thoughtful changes can make a home safer, easier to use, and more comfortable. Whether you’re organizing your own space or helping a loved one, her insights are a great starting point for creating a home that works for everyone. Read Below to learn directly from Kristen!

Low Vision and Organization, Advice from an Expert

Low vision is a condition where a person’s eyesight cannot be fully corrected with glasses, contact lenses, medication, or surgery. It significantly interferes with daily activities like reading, recognizing faces, driving, or navigating spaces safely. People with low vision may have blurry vision, loss of peripheral vision, blind spots, or reduced contrast sensitivity — making ordinary tasks more difficult and often more tiring.

As a healthcare provider, one of the most important pieces of advice I give to my patients with low vision is this: be organized. It may sound simple, but it’s one of the most powerful strategies to conserve your visual energy.

Why? Because searching for everyday items like your house keys, phone, or glasses can quickly become exhausting when your vision is limited. Every minute spent trying to locate something drains both your energy and your patience. The goal is to use your vision efficiently, not waste it on tasks that can be made easier through better habits.

Practical Tips for Low Vision Organization:

• Designate a specific place for important items. Always return things like your keys, glasses, or remote controls to the same spot.
• Use contrast to your advantage. Place dark items on light surfaces or vice versa to help them stand out more clearly.  Sometimes a brightly colored basket in the pantry for “snacks only” is helpful too! 
• Label drawers and containers. Effective labeling can save time and frustration. Try using:
  • High-contrast text, such as black letters on a white background or white letters on a black background.
  • Puffy paint or raised stickers for tactile labels you can feel.
  • QR code labels scanned with smartphone apps to give spoken or visual information about the item. .
  • Speech-output labeling systems using RFID tags, which can be programmed and read with accessible devices to announce the contents (such as “WayAround”, an assistive NFC tagging system for blind and low vision users or this Talking Label Wand – Independent Living Aids)
• Reduce clutter. The fewer items you have to visually sort through, the easier it is to find what you’re looking for.
• Use texture to support organization. Different materials like plastic bins, cloth bags, or woven baskets can help you recognize containers by touch. This taps into your sense of touch to help you identify and locate items without needing to see them clearly.
• Build routines to support muscle memory. Repeating the same actions—like always placing your phone in a certain pocket or setting your glasses on the same corner of your nightstand—helps create predictable patterns your body will remember, reducing the need to rely on vision altogether.

Low vision can be challenging, but thoughtful organization helps create a safer, more manageable environment — and allows you to make the most of your remaining vision. Over time, these small changes can build powerful routines that reduce stress, increase independence, and enhance quality of life.

It’s also important to remember that organization is not only for the person with low vision — it benefits everyone involved.

Family members, caregivers, hired aides, and housekeepers all play a role in supporting a safe and efficient living environment. A consistent, organized system makes it easier for everyone to help without unintentionally disrupting the flow of daily life. Our ultimate goal is to support people with vision impairment in staying in their own homes for as long as possible — because they know their environment best. An organized home isn’t just convenient — it’s a key to long-term independence and success.