Color Blindness Theory

The human eye and brain work together to translate light into color. For the color blind, the eye does not discern colors as others see them. According to Dr. J. M. Cohen, an optometrist who works with the color blind, one of three color detectors is absent or deficient. Some simple everyday perceptions become a problem. For example, blinking lights at intersections are either red or yellow. For some individuals, there is no way to know for certain. Choosing clothes, matching socks and selecting gifts are all very difficult, if not totally frustrating for a person who is color blind.

Causes

• Genetics is the most common cause of color blindness. Females carry the gene, but male children are usually the recipients of the deficiency. According to statistics approximately 1 in 8 males as opposed to 1 in 100 females have the condition. Eye, nerve or brain damage can also be a cause of color blind tendencies. The most severe form of color blindness is associated with eye problems like lazy eye.

Types

• The most common form of color blindness is red-green, a condition where red and green look like the same color. The severity can be very mild or extreme. The second most common form is blue-yellow. Although it is not very common, those who suffer from blue-yellow color blindness confuse some shades of blue with green, and some shades of yellow with violet. Achromatopsia, the inability to see any color, is the least common.

Disadvantages

• Color blindness may affect a person's hope for a career. Color vision is essential for the careers of pilot, color printing and photography. Abnormal color vision can even be dangerous in certain situations, such as in rail and water navigation. Firefighting, the military and law enforcement ban individuals who are color blind from some positions. Occupations that need the worker to discern color are also not suitable for the color blind, for example meat inspectors and diamond appraisers.

Famous Color Blind People

• Ironically Emerson Moser, Crayola's senior crayon maker, revealed that he was blue-green color blind. Child television show host Mr. Rogers, John Dalton (who developed the theory of atomic structure), author Mark Twain and actor Paul Newman all also admitted being color blind. Others with the distinction were singers Bing Crosby and Meatloaf.

Misconceptions

• Color blindness does not necessarily mean that those who suffer from this condition cannot see colors at all. Less than 1 percent can only see in black in white.

Caution

• Specially tinted contact lenses and glasses are the latest aids for the color blind. Although the devices help distinguish colors, they do not provide normal color vision. People should use them with caution.