
Light and lockdown... again
Dear LightAware Supporters, Advisors and Ambassadors,
We are writing this newsletter in another lockdown with increasing restrictions due to Covid-19, and we hope this finds you safe and well in this very difficult year.
It is also a very challenging season for many people who are sensitive to artificial light. The short hours of daylight mean that those who cannot tolerate their local streetlighting are trapped indoors for long evenings. And this year people are putting up Christmas lights early with the best intentions of spreading some good cheer, but unaware that bright, flashing, LED Christmas lights may cause pain and misery for their light-sensitive neighbours.
LightAware exists to support those people whose lives have been 'locked down' by new forms of lighting. Many are unable to visit the shops or the houses of family and friends and family, take part in sporting, social or cultural events or even to access education and health care. As the wider world looks ahead and begins to anticipate life beyond lockdown, there doesn't seem to be much hope on the horizon for light-sensitive people, especially for those who suffer adverse effects from exposure to LED lighting. But perhaps, as more people learn what it is like to not be able to go out and socialise, to get a haircut or visit someone in hospital, one thing we might hope for is more empathy and understanding. That awareness could bring about real change in respecting the rights of light-sensitive people to light their homes and live their lives.
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