Living with Colour Blindness

Colour blindness, also known as Colour Vision Deficiency (CVD), is more common than you may think. It affects approximately 8% of men and 0.5% of women globally, and around .2% of all Australians.

If you suspect someone you know may be one of them – or if you’re seeking information on colour blind glasses in Brisbane – you’ve come to the right place! We are Brisbane’s only Colour Blind Sight Centre™, which means that we can test for this condition, as well as provide colour blind glasses and contact lenses to suit.

What is Colour Blindness?

Colour blindness occurs when the cone cells in the retina, which are responsible for detecting colour, are absent or don’t function properly. This leads to difficulty distinguishing between certain colours. It’s often inherited, although it can also occur due to other factors like eye diseases, ageing, or injury.

What Types of Colour Blindness Are There? 

There are several different types of colour blindness. The most common is red-green colour blindness, where individuals struggle to differentiate between these two colours. Within this category, there are further distinctions:

• Deuteranomaly, where greens appear more red.
• Protanomaly, where reds look more green and less bright.

Less common types include:

• Tritanomaly – blue-yellow colour blindness.
• Achromatopsia – total colour blindness, where individuals see no colour at all.

Does Colour Blindness Negatively Impact Daily Life?

Colour blindness can range from mild to severe – and in fact some people may not even realise they have it. It also doesn’t mean poor vision, as it only affects the way your eye perceives colour and not the structures of the eye responsible for sight.

Colour blindness can bring challenges to daily life, but you can learn to adapt to most of them. Strategies like using labels to indicate colours and relying on touch and smell may help. Seeking guidance from a family member or friend is another way – for example when cooking foods and unsure if it is cooked through, navigating traffic light changes, or coordinating outfits. Adaptive tools like colour-coded kitchen aids and GPS navigation with voice instructions may also assist.

What About Colour Blind Glasses?

Advancements in optometry mean today we’re able to offer colour blind glasses to help people with colour blindness to identify colours and shades correctly. There are a few different types on the market, but at Aphrodite Livanes Optometrists we choose to stock iRo colour blind glasses, which we find to be the most effective with helping our patients pass the Ishihara colour blind test. Their special coatings and tints treat 99% of those afflicted with colour blindness (1) – plus, they are developed right here in Australia!

While these glasses don’t cure colour blindness, they may significantly improve the quality of life by enhancing the perception of colours in everyday tasks (2).

Career Options

When it comes to career choices, colour blindness can limit some opportunities.

Jobs that require precise colour recognition, like electricians, pilots, and in the fields of medicine, chemistry, and biology may not be accessible to those with CVD. However, sometimes this depends on the degree of colour vision deficiency. For example, an electrician may still be able to work safely with a mild case.

Professions like air traffic control, firefighting, and certain roles in armed forces require accurate colour perception – so individuals with CVD might not meet the necessary criteria.

But it’s important to note that many career paths are still open. With the right support and adaptive strategies, people with colour blindness can excel in numerous professions – including technology, writing, politics, psychology, teaching, finance, and law.

Colour Blindness in Children – Early Detection is Key!

It’s vital to catch CVD early, particularly because kids are often unaware they see colours differently, and it can affect their learning and development. That’s why it’s recommended that children have their eyes tested before starting school. Most eye tests for children are bulk billed in Australia, making it accessible for families.

If you’re noticing your child is having troubles identifying colours, or has a low tolerance for colouring in and other colour-related tasks, we recommend booking an eye exam with our behavioural optometrists so we can screen for CVD and check their overall eye health to identify any potential issues early on.

While living with colour blindness comes with its unique set of challenges, with the right support and resources, it’s entirely possible to navigate the world with confidence and success. For further advice, or to learn more about colour blind glasses in Brisbane – contact our experienced team today.

References:

1. https://colourvisionoptical.com.au/irochromatic/

2. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Md-Maruf-Khan/publication/381282757_Seeing_the_world_in_colour_the_story_of_vibrant_colourblind_glass/links/666554d3a54c5f0b945838f1/Seeing-the-world-in-colour-The-story-of-vibrant-colourblind-glasses.pdf

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