What are simulation glasses, and how do you make them with occlusion foils?

Simulation glasses are used to let someone temporarily experience what it is like to live with a visual impairment. This can include simulating low vision, double vision, or specific eye conditions such as cataracts or macular degeneration. They are used in education, caregiver training, elderly care, and in product development for people with visual impairments.

Simulation glasses using occlusion foil

An easy and effective way to create such glasses is by using Bangerter occlusion foils. These transparent adhesive foils are normally used in ophthalmology to temporarily reduce vision, for example in the treatment of amblyopia (lazy eye). But this same property also makes them ideal for simulation glasses: depending on the strength (ranging from <0.1 to 1.0), you can make vision progressively blurrier or even almost completely block it.

By applying one or several layers of foil to a standard pair of glasses, you can easily simulate various forms of vision loss. The result: increased awareness and understanding among family members, students, or designers who want to experience what it is like to function with a visual impairment in daily life.

Tip: Combine different strengths or apply the foil asymmetrically for even more realistic visual simulations.

Ordering occlusion foils

You can order Bangerter occlusion foils directly from us. We supply foils from Trusetal and Ryser Optik.

For creating simulation glasses, the large Trusetal sheets (21.5 × 10.5 cm) are most commonly used. These occlusion sheets are available on request. Please contact us at info@medi-sense.nl.

The smaller Ryser Optik foils (6 × 6 cm) can be ordered through our webshop: Bangerter Foil – Occlusion Foil