Colour blindness (colour vision deficiency) is the decreased ability to see colour or differences in colour It can impair tasks such as selecting ripe fruit, choosing clothing, and reading traffic lights. Colour blindness may make some academic activities more difficult. However, issues are generally minor, and the colour-blind automatically develop adaptations and coping mechanisms. People with total colour blindness (achromatopsia) may also be uncomfortable in bright environments. Fortunately, such people are very, very rare.
The most common cause of colour blindness is an inherited problem or variation in the functionality of one or more of the three classes of cone cells in the retina, which mediate colour vision.[2]
Males are more likely to be colour blind than females, because the genes responsible for the most common forms of colour blindness are on the X chromosome.[2]
Non-colour-blind females can carry genes for colour blindness and pass them on to their children.[2]
Colour blindness can also result from physical or chemical damage to the eye, the optic nerve, or parts of the brain.[2]
Screening for colour blindness is typically done with the Ishihara colour test. This test is done by your optometrist as routine in a child’s first eye exam. It can then also be performed on request or if symptoms dictate.
There is no cure for colour blindness!
Diagnosis may allow an individual, or their parents/teachers to actively accommodate the condition and work through strategies to make life more accessible.
Red–green colour blindness is the most common form, followed by blue–yellow colour blindness and total colour blindness. Red–green colour blindness affects up to 1 in 12 males (8%) and 1 in 200 females (0.5%).
Colour blindness may make people ineligible for certain jobs, such as those of aircraft pilots, train drivers, crane operators, and people in the armed forces. Any job that requires good colour recognition is a no no for people with colour blindness. Even some sports are affected: try playing snooker with red/green deficiency!
Which ball is the green/brown/red?
Ultimately colour deficiency can be a hindrance but it should not detract from the quality of an individuals life albeit with some adaptations.
