Have you and your friends ever done ‘the color blind test’ online? It is an online test to see if you suffer from color deficiency.(https://enchroma.com/pages/test) It is a series of dots that are different color combinations and if you aren’t able to see the number inside which is in a slightly different color you could likely be colorblind (a.k.a. Color deficient).

Color deficiency is actually more common than you think. Around 300 million people in the world are colorblind. You likely know someone or know of someone who is colorblind. Even famous people are colorblind such as Bill Clinton, Keanu Reeves, and Howie Mandel.

Color blindness is a minor disability in which you are unable to see colors in a normal way. Also known as a color deficiency, color blindness often happens when someone cannot differentiate between certain colors. This most commonly occurs between greens and reds.

Color deficiency is usually genetic and can be passed down through family members. However, you can also be colorblind if later in life if you have a disease or injury that affects your eyes or brain.

There is no cure or anything medical-related that you can do to fix or reduce being colorblind. Although, you can purchase glasses that fix your sight and make it so that you see colors normally, much like glasses.

Some of the most frequently asked questions include, “what color is this?” and “do you only see black and white?” People who are colorblind see all colors and are frequently quizzed on what color are certain objects.

Colorblind people can see all colors and can define all colors they just might get it wrong or mix it up. When they think of red they might picture it differently or as a different shade than others do.

In addition, red/green color deficiency is more common in males than females. Often people believe females cannot be colorblind.

Even though colorblindness is considered a disability there are not many limitations because of this diagnosis. People can do the same things and function the same way it just might be more difficult at times.

For example, how do they pick out clothes, know if a banana is ripe, or know what the traffic light is telling you? There are many ways to get around these problems. There are many free apps like Colorblind Pal, Color Inspector, and Color name AR. These apps allow you to scan something and then tell you the color. You can also ask the people around you and they can help you figure something out, along with just getting used to and recognizing what is happening without relying on color.

Some people choose to not share the fact that they are colorblind. It makes things complicated and people tend to ask a lot of questions. They can still function and survive the same way others do so, to them, it may not be much of a big deal.

To be diagnosed with color deficiency you need to see a doctor. Even though the tests are fun and easy, only a doctor can diagnose people. Most often your eye doctor can test you through a series of very thorough tests containing colors and symbols.

Although color blindness is a deficiency, people who have the condition do lead very successful lives.

Sources Used:

https://www.healthline.com/health/color-vision-test

https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-is-color-blindness#:~:text=Color%20blindness%20occurs%20when%20you,and%20reds%2C%20and%20occasionally%20blues.

https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/color-blindness/types-color-blindness