Color Blindness —
Most Frequently Asked Questions
There are many things to learn about color blindness and a lot of questions which arise when you are confronted with it. But some of the questions seem to be the most essential ones because I get them asked again and again. This page is a résumé of all those questions and shall help you to find the answer to your question more quickly.
FAQ Color Vision Deficiency
- Is there a cure for color blindness?
- Can I correct my color blindness?
- How can I pass the Ishihara test?
- Is my son colorblind?
- Can women also suffer from color vision deficiency?
- Which type of color blindness am I suffering from?
The term color blindness is misleading, because even if you are colorblind you most often can see a lot of colors. The correct wording is actually color vision deficiency; which unfortunately never really made it into common speech.
Is there a cure for color blindness?
Simple and easy you can answer this question without hesitating with no. As of today there is no known treatment which can heal your color blindness.
Color vision deficiency is in most cases a congenital disease based on some corrupted chromosomes. In this case, only some form of gene therapy could give you back normal color vision. At the moment there are some scientists doing experiments with mice, trying to inject them color vision genes and revert their color blindness. But we are still far away from a treatment for humans—if there will be any in the near future at all.
It’s a little bit different with some form of acquired color blindness. Aging, drugs, alcohol, some form of other diseases and even a hard hit on your head can also cause a color vision deficiency. In this case, it could be possible that this state can be reverted. There is also no treatment available. But it is reported, that some persons who were colorblind after a hard hit on their head, regained the ability of normal color vision again after a certain timespan.
There are a few people who claim that Chinese acupuncture can help colorblind people to see and distinguish more colors. I couldn’t find any approve of this and personally I don’t believe, that it works. On the other hand there is a modern colorblind cyborg, who is wearing a camera which transforms color informations into sounds. This makes it possible for him to see colors—still in a very early test stage :-)
The only possibility for colorblind people are some sort of color correcting lenses. They can’t give you back normal color vision but might help you to broaden your perceived color spectrum in certain cases. But also this is no cure for color blindness.
Further reading:
The Way to Cure Color Blindness?
Improving Color Vision with Lenses for the Colorblind
Tritanopic after Head Injury
Can I correct my color blindness?
Many people are looking for a correction of their color blindness. But unfortunately there isn’t any real correction possible.
As any color vision deficiency is either caused by some irregularity in your eyes or your brain, you can’t just put on some glasses or lenses to give you back normal color vision. If you are colorblind you are not able to perceive the same variety of hues, and because of that it is physically impossible that a tool can correct your color blindness.
But there are some lenses and other tools available which claim to improve your color vision. So what can they really do?
Using color correcting lenses means that you buy two differently colored contacts. This causes a shift in your perceived color spectrum which means that you might see some more colors in your problem range but on the other side loose some colors in an other part of the color spectrum. Often color correcting lenses are used to pass some color blindness tests like the Ishihara plate test. It is reported that such lenses might be of some help to perform certain tasks, but many people don’t think they are useful for everyday life.
Further reading:
Improving Color Vision with Lenses for the Colorblind
Seekey – Colorblinds See Otherwise Invisible Colors
How can I pass the Ishihara test?
The Ishihara color blindness test is the most often used test to check color vision deficiencies. There are different sets available which are often used for pilot, police officer and other job recruitments, where perfect color vision is a precondition. And because of this rule, many colorblind people are looking for a way to be able to pass such a test.
Unfortunately there isn’t any way to overcome this problem.
You could buy some color correcting contacts. But it is often forbidden to use them for tests.
You could learn the plates by heart. But do you really know, which test set will be used and in which order.
I always suggest not to try to cheat on such tests but to talk about your handicap. Try to find the real reason behind this requirement. Try to show them what you really can see and where your area of problem colors is. Or you can also try to point them out, that Ishihara tests are not realistic color vision tests and that there are better methods available like a lantern color blindness test.
Further reading:
Ishihara Plates Color Blindness Test in a Leaflet
Study on How Color Blindness Affects Pilots
Improving Color Vision with Lenses for the Colorblind
Is my son colorblind?
Many concerned mothers ask me, how they can find out if their two to five year old son is colorblind: “My son can already count and he also knows the letters but fails on naming colors correctly”. Are you in the same situation?
You don’t have to be concerned. The concept of colors is compared to numbers, letters and forms the most complex one. Many children don’t grasp it in the first years, even if they can read numbers and letters. Just try to think about it yourself and all the colors you perceive and name. There are so many different hues which have to be categorized. In my eyes, this is a very complex task to accomplish.
My rule is: Wait until he goes to kindergarten. If he still has a problem with colors you might go and visit an eye specialist. But before that it is to early and it wouldn’t help anybody to know if he really is colorblind or not. As long as you know about the possibility you are on the good side. And don’t be concerned, color blindness as something very common and for most people not really a handicap during their whole life.
Further reading:
Is My Son Colorblind?
Color Blindness Testing Poster for Children
Can women also suffer from color vision deficiency?
Yes. Yes, women can also suffer from any type of color vision deficiency. But because the most common form is red-green color blindness—which is much more prevalent among males—many people think that only men can be colorblind.
Looking at the numbers you have about every twelfth men compared to every 200st women who is colorblind. So you most possibly know a lot more colorblind men before you meet any colorblind woman.
Only forms of red-green color blindness (protan and deutan defects) are encoded on the sex chromosome and occur therefor more often among men. Tritan defects and achromatopsia (complete color blindness) are evenly distributed between men and women. But as those forms are much less common you won’t really recognize it.
Further reading:
Colorblind Population
The Biology behind Red-Green Color Blindness
Chromosomes Involved in Color Blindness
Which type of color blindness am I suffering from?
People often tell me which hues they can’t distinguish and hope to get an answer on the type of their color blindness. Unfortunately I can only guess and can’t really tell them which type it is and how severe it is.
If you want to know it for sure, you have to visit an eye specialist. He should be able to tell you more about your color vision deficiency after some tests. The most common test is some form of Ishihara plates whereas the most accurate tool is the anomaloscope, which can give you the most precise results.
On the other side you can try to take some color blindness tests which are available online and try to find out yourself, which type of color blindness you are suffering from. Check out the links below which will lead you to the different tests available online.
Further reading:
Which Type of Red-Green Color Blindness is It?
Color Blindness Tests
Category: Tests
September 15th, 2008 at 20:45
Hi, Daniel. Thanks so much for offering this service! I’ve had very little problem distinguishing colors all my life — very minor things i.e. rarely a house or car that appears grey to me will appear blue to others, but I see the vast majority of blue things as definitely blue. I have similar occasional anomalies with red/orange — some reds I would call orange, some blues I call green, some green I would call yellow or vice-versa, but these are all with the in-between areas of the spectrum. The Ishihara tests indicate that I’m severely color-blind; I only perceive the numbers that only totally color-blind don’t see. It’s very obvious to me that something is wrong with these tests. 9 out of 10 times, I can identify the precise hue of anything that anyone else can. So what’s up with this?
September 16th, 2008 at 22:18
Art, that’s exactly what color blindness is all about. You are able to identify hues, but sometimes mix up some colors or can’t spot a thing. I suppose you have a moderate form of red-green color blindness. – Can you see red-blossoms in a green bush from far away? Or spot an orange in the grass easily? I can’t.
October 28th, 2008 at 0:16
hello,
love your website. i am a little confused, i think i may be colorblind. ive taken several tests online and (almost) passed them all perfectly.
but, in life ive been mixing these colors: i thought purple was pink, i thought red was pink, i thought violet was blue and ive thought red was orange. those are the only mix ups i can think of at the moment.
im worried that i am somewhat colorblind, and maybe am only passing the online tests because of the way my computer is or lighting… i dont know. also i have MAJOR clothes matching issues… im a girl.
any idea what i should do and what type you think i may be based on the info i gave you?
October 29th, 2008 at 21:34
Katie, there are all sorts of color blindness. Maybe you have just a very weak form of red-green color blindness, based on your description.
Many people are colorblind and can find their way around easily. If you recognized that you have some problems (clothing), just try to find your personal solution for those problem areas. I’m sure you’ll find them.
October 30th, 2008 at 0:31
ok thanks!!! and for your simulator colbis, is the difference between normal and blue weak really that little? i can just BARELY tell the difference when quickly switching back and forth. or does that just mean i have tritnomaly? :D
November 2nd, 2008 at 20:21
Katie, no online test can tell you about your color blindness. It might give you a hint, that you have some form of blue-weakness. But to be sure you have to check it with your local eye specialist.
November 14th, 2008 at 23:44
Hi,
I have been trying to find out what type of color blindness I have. I think it may be a weak form of tritanomaly. I sometimes mix up greens and blues and on your simulator I usually can’t tell the difference between normal and blue weak. I also noticed that every Ishihara plate I mix up has blue in it, and all the plates i get right don’t have blue. I am a girl, and I know it would be rare for me to be color blind. Based on my description, do you think that I am blue weak, and are there any other ways that I can determine being blue weak? I mean besides an online test.
PS. I have also messed up pink and purple and red and orange before… does that mean i may have protanomaly, too?
November 19th, 2008 at 9:01
Caroline, it’s always difficult to tell you from distance if you are colorblind or not. Please check out the arrangement test. It can give you a better idea of the type you are suffering from – if any at all.
Usually you are the best to tell it. Can’t you argue about colors as others do? Are you often than your friends unsure about a color?
November 28th, 2008 at 3:08
I am a sixteen year old female if that helps…
i think this may be a rare condition…
I seem to have a problem distinguishing yellow and purple and blue and gray
but only in one eye…I’ve done some research but can’t find much
when i look at something with both eyes i can tell what color it is…with the other eye it seems to be a different color. i sometimes feel confused about these colors. Also and i can not find a test online for this type of color blindness…please help
Thank you -Katrina
December 4th, 2008 at 2:04
I am doing a biology project on color blindness, and one of our questions is “Is there a way to genetically test for color blindness?” Such as is there a way to test your chromosomes for color blindness before you have any children to avoid passing it on?
Thanks, Riley
December 4th, 2008 at 14:54
I am color blind…as to what type, I do not know….but I can see the beauty of world in color….I have questions that really bothers me….How can a colorblind person pass a driving test? Or should a colorblind person be allowed to drive?…please respond on my email ad..tyvm
December 16th, 2008 at 23:02
Katrina, it is possible to have not the same color impression on both eyes. But this is very uncommon and you wont find anything online to get you more detailed information. You have to check a color vision specialist.
Riley, there are some genetic tests for color vision deficiency available, but only for checking certain variables and only for academic usage. But I strongly believe that you don’t have to be scared—everybody can live with it.
Jojo, it depends on your country. Some dictate you to pass a color vision test, others don’t. There are some academic researches which claim, that strong color blindness can be a handicap for a driver.
December 20th, 2008 at 19:53
Thank you Dr.Daniel, i appreciate the help, maybe you could give some detail as to why that happens? Thank you again
Katrina W.
January 13th, 2009 at 4:33
Just a correction on the “Can I pass the Ishihara test” section, I would like to point out that you do not need flawless color vision to be a pilot in the U.S. at least. Per CFR 14 Part 67, a.k.a. the Federal Aviation Regulations, Sections 103, 203, and 303 (depended on the class) an applicant to any class of medical certificate “must be able to perceive those colors necessary for the safe performance of airmen’s duties”. This simply means an applicant must be able to perceive red, green, and blue to a reasonable degree. That said, even those with moderate deficiencies can still exercise the privledges of an airmen’s certificate without restriction if they are able to attain a S.O.D.A., or Statement of Demonstrated Ability by passing a signal gun test administered by the FAA. Those with less severe forms of color deficiency can normally pass the Dvorine plate test if your medical examiner is so equipped. I am deuteranomolous myself, and I have been able to pass the Dvorine 3 times already and currently hold a first class medical certificate w/o restriction. If you’re aspiring to be a pilot, please don’t let this issue stand in your way without checking out all of your options…
January 16th, 2009 at 17:48
hi, i did d ishihara color test and found out i was color blind. i want to become a pilot and i have been admitted into the training school but might not be able to continue because of this eye deficiency. i know of a contact lens that helps in seeing colors better.can i use them for my deficiency and if yes where can i get one?
January 18th, 2009 at 21:15
Dee, have a look at Improving Color Vision with Lenses for the Colorblind. But I suppose you will not be allowed to use them.
January 18th, 2009 at 21:55
i am number nine above (Katrina w.) thank you for your help
maybe you could recommend a good ophthalmologist in WI, i don’t know of any outside of local clinics.
thanks again
K
May 9th, 2009 at 1:57
Hi , your site is great . my results were slight protan defect . I normally have trouble with the purple ,violet ,blue colours . If they are beside each other i can figure it out.I was wondering if you have found that peoples dislike for certain colours is connected to colour blindness ? It may seem like a silly question but i find pink (especially particularly bright shades) very irritating ,also some shades of red.I wonder if it is just my perception of the colour. ?
May 9th, 2009 at 21:51
Pauline, thanks.
I haven’t any evidence on a connection between color blindness and color dislikes. All I know is, if I have to choose colors, my wife tells me always, I choose pastel colors. So maybe they are for my eyes easier to tell apart.
June 18th, 2009 at 19:26
hi i recently took a colour blind test and apparently i cant see red and green on the ishihara test.
the thing is i can tell red and green apart as clear as day even together if you gave me a 100 different reds and green to tell i would get 100% but on this test i cant this is such a pain as i have medicals for my job and has to go through this.
how can i see these colours in life but not on the test i had one doctor say for example traffic lights i know the sequence but i see random object and still be able to tell them apart?
June 18th, 2009 at 20:19
Paul, if you have a light color blindness you will fail the Ishihara plates test but often don’t recognize it in normal life. Try some of the other tests on Colblindor, so you can find out more about the severity of your possible color vision deficiency.
But you have to be assured that also some people with normal color vision fail this test!
August 3rd, 2009 at 15:32
Hello!
Awesome site, I did the test with the doctor, and he said that ‘It was worse then the last time you had the test done’…. I am blind in one eye, and I am worried that I might be going colour blind, I did a few Ishinia (spelling) tests, and I could hardly see some of them…. Only the easy ones (that I think) everyone can read!!
Could this mean I am colour blind!
September 23rd, 2009 at 7:36
Do you need to colour blind free to get a driver’s license in Pennsylvania, US.?
September 30th, 2009 at 7:39
There are too many doctors administering ishihara colour tests and failing people for jobs that do not require stereotypical colour appreciation.The ishihara test is designed to pick up colour anomally,it should not be used to preclude all anomolous colour visioned people from positions that they can do.Doctors should be adviseing people to have a more definitive test such as the Anomaloscope before writing one of as colour blind.
October 1st, 2009 at 3:40
Hello, this is Katrina, i still have had no comments directed towards me as far as i know. I think that I really need some help. i do not have health insurance and therefore can not see an eye doctor specialist. someone please, if you have any information i would love to hear it. My color blindness/deficiency is in my left eye and may now be in both, many people around me think that i am a hypochondriac and that i shouldn’t worry, although i often ask or feel like asking another person what the color of some objects are just to double check, as far as i know there are no tests online for what i have, took the ishara and came out normal, i believe i have a blue-yellow strain of color blindness. Please help
Katrina W.
October 1st, 2009 at 15:14
hi this is Ashvini from INDIA. I want to become a pilot. I have selected a school in Australia and almost half of the procedure is done successfully. When i took the medical test i am totally fit in everything except for the red/green color blindness. So will they enroll me in their school? Its my ambition, and is there any alternative for my problem.
Waiting for reply.
Help me out.
REGARDS
Ashvini
October 9th, 2009 at 10:57
Hi. I often have problems remembering colors correctly. For example, if I see a green truck in front of me I will register it as green. However, I will remember it orange or I know it is one of the two colors but I’m not sure which one. It seems like my brain just doesn’t register colors in my memory correctly. Is this a problem that has been documented before? (I’ve taken color tests and do have problems seeing many of the patterns in the tests.)
Thanks for your input!
Jessica
October 17th, 2009 at 17:06
Jessica,
I have the exact same problem. For me though, it is specific to blue and red. This is a problem that I have had for as long as I can remember and I can even give an example.
When I was 16, a lady ran a stop sign and hit my car. I told the officer that it was a red, ford taurus wagon, blah blah blah. Turns out she turns herself in later that day and it is actually a BLUE car.
Funniest thing about this story as I have told people over the years is, I still can’t tell you what color the car was. I only know I told the officer the wrong one.
November 18th, 2009 at 23:23
Just wondering, how would you quantify having a red-green defect on the D-15.
I had 2 crossings that were out of the circle plot.
Great site!
November 20th, 2009 at 23:51
I have red/green color blindness. I have a job that requires me to see red/amber and greed led lights. Is there a device that can help me determine the color of the light. For example, could I place a small film of colored plastic over the light that may change it to a recognizable color?
lol to a comment above. I drove a car for 3 years before someone told me it was green. I thought it was brown.
Excellent site.
December 7th, 2009 at 11:49
I have difficulty to read ishihara color plate & some of those plate i am not able to read but i took D-15 test,100 hue test, RGB test & one more test & i clearly passed each test even for two or more trial.Am i color blind in medical defination.
January 10th, 2010 at 23:58
Both my son and my daughter are some form of red green colorblind. As their mother, my father is red-green color blind as is my husband. Both have been to the eye doctor where it was confirmed. The information on your site is very helpful and relieves some of my anxiety. Thank you!
January 18th, 2010 at 3:35
Hi! I just wanted to say thanks for your efforts!
There’s a piece of information I was looking for, though, that I couldnt find. I’m going to take the Nagel Anomaloscope test, and I’d like to know how it works, how it’s interpreted, and what the scale means. I have to be below “4 degrees” in order to get my license, and I don’t even know what that means… can u help? :)
January 26th, 2010 at 19:23
sir,
i feel that i am colour bliend but i can see red is red and green is green but in ishihara plates i can not some plates properly why ,………..
is am i improove my colour bliends because i want to pass a civil services exam
please direct me at any cost ……………….because in this world there is all soloutions of all problems and there is nothing to difficult