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OF MANCHESTER INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Have you ever had trouble matching your socks? Do you often pick out a necktie that makes your friends laugh at the way that tie clashes with your shirt? As a kid, did you wonder what everybody in science class was talking about when they said there was a number in that circle full of Colored dots? If so, you might be color blind. "Color blindness" is the term commonly applied to a genetic defect that causes the inability to distinguish certain colors or shades of colors. A better term for the problem might be "color vision deficiency" because almost all color blind individuals see in color - they just can't tell some colors apart. (Totally color blind persons, called monochromats, see only black, white, and shades of gray - but this condition is extremely rare.) The most common type of color vision deficiency affects red-green perception. This condition doesn't mean the person affected by it can't tell red from green; it means he or she has problems distinguishing colors such as green from brown (brown is composed of red and green) or blue from purple (purple is composed of red and blue). Color vision is the responsibility of cone cells that are part of the retina of the eye. There are a few different types of cones and each type is sensitive to a different set of colors (reds, greens, or blues). The cones absorb light rays that bounce off objects and relay information on the color of that light to the brain. Color blind people generally are missing at least one type of cone and so can't perceive certain colors. This doesn't mean they can't see the color entirely, however--the ability to perceive a color is also based on factors such as intensity, hue of the color, and the amount of light available. It is estimated that about 8 percent of men and .5 percent of women are color blind. Color blindness is a sex-linked genetic trait carried on the X-chromosome and therefore passed from mothers to sons. About half of the male offspring from a woman who has the "defective" gene will probably be color blind. For a woman to have the trait, both parents need to have been carriers of the color blindness gene. That's why the problem is much more common for men. It's a good idea to have a child's color vision checked at an early age, since problems distinguishing colors can cause the child to be a source of ridicule during childhood. Because of widespread misunderstandings about color blindness, people with an "undiagnosed" color blindness problem might be uncomfortable or defensive when discussing the topic. A thorough color blindness test is offered by the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. The test is a series of 10 screens that prompt you to match a colored dot with other dots of similar colors. If you give the correct answer, you proceed to the next screen in the test. If you give the wrong answer, you are told you have made a protanomalous, deuteranomalous, or tritanomalous matching error. Sound dangerous? Don't be alarmed. The terms mean "red-weakness," "green-weakness," and "blue-weakness," respectively. At the end of the test, a summary explains the results. The site makes it clear that the test is not definitive. However, you can use it as an indicator of sight problems that should be checked by an optometrist or opthamologist. COLOR PERCEPTION ISSUES This is a lengthy article by Diane Wilson about the use of color in Web design; it's thorough and contains much detailed information about color blindness. Graphics illustrate how colors tend to be perceived by color blind people. Wilson's main paint is that you should not assume your audience (whether you're designing for the Web or creating a color-filled presentation for your boss) has normal color perception. She suggests providing other cues, in addition to color, to help people understand a Web page, chart, or graph; otherwise, you might lose part of your audience. ASK A BIOLOGIST Created by the Arizona State University's Life Sciences Visualization Group, Ask a Biologist offers a page on color blindness designed for students and teachers of grades K through 12. A color blindness test is provided (a set of five Ishahara test charts) along with brief, straightforward explanations about color blindness. The information is presented clearly and succinctly - perfect for students. So, if you want to avoid difficult terms like "deutanomolous," this site is a good primary resource. Terms are defined throughout the site. and links are listed within a general biology index. COLOR BLINDNESS If for no other reason, you should see this site just to check out the color scheme and the multitude of blinking eye balls. Webmaster Mark Melnick is color blind, and his personal testimonial expresses many of the frustrations experienced by individuals labeled as such. ("Oh, you're color blind! What color is my shirt?") Like many color blind people, Melnick did not realize he was color blind until he was an adult and finally able to identify the source of his difficulties with color. There's much personal and scientific information here along with excellent links. COLOR BLINDNESS CHECK This site contains a testimonial from a color blind individual, along with six Ishahara color blindness tests. (Ishahara tests, named after their inventor are circles made up of multicolored dots, some of which are grouped to form numbers.) The tests are not an exact science. In theory, a person with normal color vision will see one number, and a color blind person will see another number - although color blind people often don't see any number in the circles! The tests, however; call indicate a possible problem that should be checked with an eye doctor. COLORVISIONTEST.COM Once you pick the French or English version, this site is easy to navigate. The home Page is a list of questions that link to pages offering extracts from a CD-ROM the organization has for sale. If you're interested in learning more about color blindness, order the CD-ROM for US $15.95. Unfortunately, this site tends.to speak in absolutes-as though all color blind people see exactly the Same way - and some of the information might be considered by people who experience color blindness to be inaccurate. There are no links to other sites. |
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Get free information to help solve what ails you. This site provides a wealth of resources from medical experts, including links to articles about health and disease, companies that provide specialized health care services, health care organizations (such as hospitals and drug manufacturers), and related publications. There's also information about medical education, opportunities to buy health and fitness books, and feature articles on health topics. Fitness Partner Connection Jumpsite This site contains advice on how to get the most from your workouts, training activities, such as aerobics and biking, weight management, fitness FAQs, mental training such as meditation, and more. If you want to discuss issues with fellow fitness buffs, there's a link to newsgroups and E-mail lists. This site is a service of Columbia University, which provides answers to just about any question you can think of related to physical and mental well-being. Search Alice's archives for an answer to your question, or send Alice your health question, and she will answer. Topics covered include general health, fitness and nutrition, and emotional well-being. |
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