If you sit 57" away from the monitor, you will be almost five feet away from
it.  Unless you have verrrrrrrrry long hands or a verrrrrry long wire
connecting your keyboard to your monitor (and a nice-sized office), this
advice strikes me as pretty impractical.  How do you read (assuming you can
see the type from five feet away) and type at the same time?

I work with many people who have low vision and use computers, and many of
them move their heads very close to the monitor in order to see the screen,
especially when not using large print software.  This does not seem to be
problematic unless it is done for a sustained period of time, when they
complain of neck or back (not eye) strain.  Many low vision organization and
practitioners say that the concept of "sitting too close to a television
causes eyestrain"  is an old wives' tale.  Perhaps the same applies to
computer monitors and more contemporary old wives :-)

Julie Klauber

----- Original Message -----
From: J Allegrini <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2001 9:35 AM
Subject: Re: Large screen monitors: for EVERYONE!


> Tanya,
> I remember being told by my eye doctor that generally a person with
> traditional eyesite should sit 3 times the monitor size away from the
> monitor-that's 57 in for a 19 inch monitor.  Computer ergonomic general
setup
> guidelines specify approximatley 36 in. I know some of the library patrons
> where I work have been told by their doctors not to look too long at any
> monitor.
>
> Keep us informed if you learn anything specific that can help up make
> information not only accessible but safe.
> ===== Original Message From "Library Access -- http://www.rit.edu/~easi"
> <[log in to unmask]> =====
> >I agree, libraries should offer more large-size computer monitors.  I'm
not
> >an optometrist, but many of us sit very close to our computer monitors.
> >Would sitting so close to a 19" monitor actually cause eyestrain to
children
> >or those with good vision?
> >
> >Tanya
> >
> >
> >
> >Tanya Feddern, MLIS, MOT
> >http://www.geocities.com/nqiya/index.html
> >Reference & Education Librarian
> >University of Miami School of Medicine
> >Louis Calder Memorial Library
> >
> >_________________________________________________________________
> >Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
>
> Julia Allegrini, Library Supervisor
> Northern Kentucky Talking Book Library
> 502 Scott Boulevard
> Covington, Kentucky 41011
> 859-491-7610
> toll free 866-491-7610
> [log in to unmask]
>