Colour Blindness
Colour blindness might not mean what you think. It actually has no relation to being blind and a very small number of people see the world entirely gray. Take the colour deficiency screening below and view examples of what colour blind or deficient individuals see.
In living colour
Most people who are considered colour blind have a colour vision deficiency which means they can see colours, but they just see them a little differently. Colours may look faded or dull, or two different colours could look very similar. This happens because the cones in the eye are missing one or more of the light-sensitive pigments.1 Genetics are typically to blame, but sometimes age, diseases and medication can be the culprit.
Screening for colour deficiencies
The most widely used screening test for colour deficiencies is the Ishihara Colour Vision Test. The test contains circular patterns comprised of many dots of various colours, brightness and sizes. Within the circle is a number. A colour deficient person will either be unable to see the number or will see a different number than the one seen by a person with normal colour vision.2
How do you see colour?
Select the number you see in the circle to the left to test your colour acuity.
This test is not medical advice. A complete diagnosis of colour vision deficiency is not possible using online testing–consult an eye care professional for more information and accurate testing.
You have normal vision
Based on our results, you can see all the colours of the rainbow and have normal colour vision. You were able to detect the shapes in nearly all the questions. You fall into the majority of 92% of men and over 99% of women who don't have colour blindness
If you still have questions or concerns about your vision, you should be sure to consult an eye doctor. Schedule an eye exam today.
A complete diagnosis of colour vision deficiency is not possible using online testing–consult an eye care professional for more information and accurate testing.
You may be a deutan
Based on your results you may have deuteranomaly. This means the green cones in your eye are not able to register that colour or shades of that colour. Therefore grass appears not as bright or maybe even beige and tomatoes may look brown. You may confuse colours like red with purple and brown with pink and blue.3
For a proper diagnosis, you should be sure to consult an eye doctor. Schedule an eye exam today.
A complete diagnosis of colour vision deficiency is not possible using online testing–consult an eye care professional for more information and accurate testing.
You may be a protan
Based on your results you may have protanomaly. This means the red cones in your eye are not able to register that colour or shades of that colour. Therefore an orange appears not as bright and maybe a little yellow and flamingos may look gray or brown. You may confuse colours like green and yellow or red and black.3
For a proper diagnosis, you should be sure to consult an eye doctor. Schedule an eye exam today.
A complete diagnosis of colour vision deficiency is not possible using online testing–consult an eye care professional for more information and accurate testing.
You may be a tritan
Based on your results you may have tritanomaly. This means the blue cones in your eye are not able to register that colour or shades of that color. Therefore bananas appear pink and the sky may look gray. You may confuse colours like orange with purple and pink or blue and green.3
A complete diagnosis of colour vision deficiency is not possible using online testing–consult an eye care professional for more information and accurate testing.
Your results are inconclusive
Based on your results you weren’t able to spot the correct number across different screen plates. You may have trouble differentiating colours and hues across the spectrum.
A complete diagnosis of colour vision deficiency is not possible using online testing–consult an eye care professional for more information and accurate testing.
Types of colour vision deficiencies
The cones in our eyes determine the different levels of colour deficiencies - from seeing no colour at all (which is rare) down to just slightly seeing one or two colours differently. There are two main types of colour vision deficiencies that represent how our eyes respond to blue, green, and red light.
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Deutan
A deutan is a person who has either deuteranopia or deuteranomaly. This type of colourblindness or deficiency impacts green cones. In the total absence of green cones, green looks beige and red and orange look brown. If there is just a deficiency yellow and green appear more red. Purple and blue look similar too. Deuteranomaly is the most common colour vision deficiency impacting nearly 5% of males and less than 1% of females.2
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Protan
A protan is a person who has either protanopia or protanomaly. This type of colour blindness or deficiency impacts red cones. In the total absence of red cones, red and purple look brownish or can even appear black. Green and orange look yellow. If there is just a deficiency, red and orange appears to have a green tint and many colours like red, orange, purple and green are not as vibrant.2
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Tritan
Tritan is a person who has either tritanomaly or tritanopia. This type of colour blindness impacts the blue cone cells and is very rare. In the total absence of blue cones yellow looks like violet or light gray and blue looks like green. If there is just a deficiency, blue looks greener and yellow can look like red or pink.2
2 Facts about Colour Blindess https://nei.nih.gov/health/color_blindness/facts_about
3 Types of Colour Blindness http://www.colourblindawareness.org/colour-blindness/types-of-colour-blindness
4 “OneSight Community Vision Care Participant Training Guide” 21 Aug 2015