When my family moved into a new house, I remember how excited I was to have a walk-in closet in my new bedroom, as the closet had much better lighting compared to the reach-in closet in my previous bedroom. A walk-in closet does more than just provide storage space for someone with low vision; it enables me to organize clothing, get dressed, and locate items independently, as well as closely examine items without having to take everything out of the closet.
Many students with visual impairments learn how to organize clothing as part of Expanded Core Curriculum lessons (ECC) in the area of independent living skills, as visual impairment makes it difficult or impossible to observe sighted family members and friends cleaning or organizing clothing. Clothing organization is also often covered in vision rehabilitation lessons or as part of independent living lessons, where individuals learn how to use specific tools and techniques to perform tasks independently. Although I didn’t receive lessons on how to organize my closet from vision professionals, I have picked up on several strategies as an assistive technology specialist with low vision, as well as strategies that my other blind and low vision friends have taught me. Here is my own list of tips for organizing a walk-in closet with vision loss, including strategies for low vision and nonvisual access.
Group clothing by category and establish a consistent location
Whenever possible, I try to combine entire categories of clothing in one centralized spot so that things are not scattered across the space. Even more important is to establish a specific location for each item and consistently place/return it to the same location. While some people prefer to organize by occasion, I find it easier to have all items of one category in one place, such as having dresses on one rack, shirts on another, etc. This also helps if someone else has to grab something from my closet, and helps to reduce visual clutter that can come from having literal clutter scattered everywhere!
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Use defined segments, dividers, and high-contrast bins on shelves
Shelving with no internal boundaries encourages folded items to blend together or topple over, a common source of frustration when locating items with low vision or identifying items by touch. Inserting shelf dividers or transferring items into bins creates specific zones, and choosing different-shaped containers can help with differentiating specific categories or types of items as well. Clear bins preserve a visual line of sight to the contents, while opaque bins can be paired with a large-print or braille label on the front.
Stacks should be kept shallow. A single-layer arrangement or stacks limited to garments of one color and style minimizes the chance of pulling out the wrong item and prevents the disturbance of the underlying stack.
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Arrange garments by color and augment with assistive technology
I have intact color vision, and often sort items by color so that they are easy for me to locate quickly; I can hold items side by side under bright or natural light to match colors if needed. Locating items in a dark or low-light environment can be challenging, so my “backup” option is to use a flashlight to quickly illuminate items if needed.
For learners who cannot reliably perceive color or whose vision fluctuates, color arrangement can be augmented with non-visual identifiers such as:
- Safety-pin tags with different shapes that can be pinned discreetly into seams. Color Mates is one example of a brand that makes clothing tags for blind users, though these can also be DIYed with safety pins and different colored/shaped buttons. Alternatively, individuals may prefer to use a specific number of laundry safety pins for labeling a single color (e.g., one safety pin for black, two safety pins for charcoal gray).
- Differently shaped buttons that can be sewn onto clothing tags
- Talking color identifiers that can be used to detect specific colors and shades.
- Braille clothing tags, which include washable plastic tags with two to three braille letters and corresponding print, sewn or pinned into the garment.
- RFID tags and voice labeling systems such as the PENfriend, which can be used to record and re-record messages on self-adhesive labels and speaks them aloud when scanned.
Visual impairment is a spectrum, not a binary, and there are many factors that can influence usable vision. Having options for both visual and nonvisual access is critical for ensuring access across multiple environments or fluctuations/changes in vision. Even though I am not expected to “go blind” from my condition, I really appreciated having access to a color reader when I had an eye infection that left my eyes temporarily swollen shut!
Related links
- Exploring Accessible Color Palettes For Low Vision
- Disability Accommodations For Fluctuating Eyesight
Next, sort by sleeve length and garment length
Within each color band, garments can be further organized by sleeve length (sleeveless, short, three-quarter, long) and bottoms by inseam (shorts, capris, full-length, then skirts of varying lengths). This can make it easier to locate items in a specific area, and provide an additional tactile cue; the cuff of a long sleeve feels distinctly different from a sleeveless shoulder, so the sorting order doubles as an additional landmark even before color or style is confirmed.
Optimize lighting in and around the closet
Lighting plays a significant role in organizing a walk-in closet with vision loss, as bright lights can be used to locate items visually and provide illumination in dark spaces. My closet lights are brighter than the rest of my bedroom lights since I have several items inside my closet and need to locate items visually.
Examples of closet lighting solutions for low vision can include:
- LED bulbs, which produce a direct, bright light.
- Smart lightbulbs that offer options for customizing color, brightness/intensity, and configuring timers so that lights dim after a specific time.
- Motion-sensor closet fixtures, LED strip lights, and small puck lights mounted under shelves, which deliver consistent, even illumination without deep shadows.
- Adjustable task lighting with a bendy stem or pivoting head, positioned to the side of the visual task and angled away from the eyes to reduce glare and shadow.
- A flashlight kept near the closet for spot-checking labels or comparing colors.
When it comes to glare, brighter is not always better; matte surfaces or light-colored walls and ceilings help diffuse light without producing reflective hotspots. My current closet is an off-white color, with black hangers and a variety of colorful clothing items (though not many white-colored items).
Related links
- Lighting And Low Vision
- Choosing Paint Colors For Low Vision
- Environmental Accommodations For Low Vision Students
- How I Decorate A Bedroom For CVI
Use hanging storage whenever possible
Hanging garments require less manual precision than folding and present each item in a known orientation, making them easier to identify visually or by touch through the use of tactile cues. Individuals can also coordinate outfits by placing the complete combination on a single hanger (e.g., suit with matching shirt, belt, and tie), so coordinated outfits can be located easily without having to search for matching items.
Using velvet or slim hangers can make it easier to locate clothing items and keep items from slipping onto the floor. When hangers are not in use, consider placing them in a designated bin, rod section, or on a dedicated hook. This can make it easier to locate items by touch and hang clean laundry, as all of the empty hangers are in a consistent location.
Some individuals may prefer to label hangers instead of or in addition to labeling clothing. For example, rubber bands can be wrapped around hangers to provide labeling information, or an index card label can be pinned or attached to hangers to label a specific outfit.
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Keep items off the floor, and use high-contrast surfaces
Items left on the closet floor accumulate visual clutter, can be pushed out of reach, and pose a tripping hazard. Floors are often the worst-lit zone in the closet, where glare from overhead fixtures or shadowed corners can make it even more challenging to locate items. Some strategies that I use in my own closet include:
- A shoe rack for keeping footwear off the floor, presenting shoes against a solid backdrop, and reduces the bending required to reach them; stackable models extend storage vertically.
- Two high-contrast laundry bins (one light and one dark) for corralling clothes and bedding separately. These stand out from the floor color rather than blending in.
Both the shoe rack and laundry bins are matte textures, instead of glossy or reflective surfaces that can contribute to glare.
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More tips for organizing a walk-in closet with vision loss
- One of my favorite strategies for keeping my real-life closet organized is to use a digital closet to pick out outfits. Learn more in How I Use The Stylebook App With Low Vision
- Wondering how I choose what clothes go into my closet? I share several tips for choosing clothes in Clothing Shopping Tips For Sensory Processing Issues and Making Clothing Stores Accessible For Low Vision
- In one of my dorms, I used garment racks to store most of my clothes in the corner of my room, and the lighting in the closet (or lack thereof) was one of the reasons why. I share more about my dorm in How I Decorate My Dorm Room With Low Vision and Tips For Keeping A Dorm Room Clean With Chronic Illness
Published July 8, 2020. Updated March 2026