A person who is color blind can only see a limited spectrum of colors. This means they cannot identify one or more colors and tend to see everything as black, white, and gray. Because of this condition, identifying particular objects can be difficult, affecting how a person chooses and prepares food, drives a car, and picks clothes to wear.
Color blindness can be due to genetics, exposure to too much UV light, contracting an illness, or aging. If you suspect someone you know is color blind, there are some tests you can perform at home to see if they have this condition. Finding out if someone is color blind is essential for many reasons, such as driving and knowing which signals are red or green to go safely on the road.
What Does It Mean To Be Color Blind?
Color blindness is when you can’t distinguish or differentiate between colors the way most people do. Most people who are color deficient have trouble telling the difference between red and green. Another kind makes it hard to tell the difference between blue and yellow. Though unusual, some people with this condition are completely colorblind and can’t see any colors.
Age, certain medical conditions, or heredity can all contribute to color blindness. It can also be caused by eye injury or a side effect of certain medications. People who are color blind may not know that they have it unless they get tested. In most cases, people with this condition are born with it, so they have never seen colors correctly.
How Can You Tell If Someone Is Colorblind?
Step 1: Spotting Color Blindness in Children
It’s hard for adults to tell if someone is colorblind let alone young children. Suppose you notice a child is colorblind early on; you can help them see better by giving them colorblind glasses, especially if they are ready for school.
There are several early signs and symptoms to look out for. The main one is having trouble telling colors apart or getting them wrong. Examples include using the wrong colors when painting or drawing and having trouble figuring out which pencils or pens are red or green. Other indicators are sensitivity to light, particularly bright light, as well as trouble reading and working on colored worksheets or pages.
Step 2: Ask Your Loved One Whether They Can See Colors Properly
If you suspect someone you know, like a loved one, is colorblind, you can ask them if they see colors as they should. You may want to talk to them in general or while they’re doing something that requires them to see colors. For example, if you’re at the grocery store and your loved one has to decide between a red apple and a green apple, you can ask them to choose which. While you may be able to tell that someone does not see colors correctly, they may not know that they have a condition affecting their vision.