The human brain receives 90% of its information about the world through vision, with colour perception playing a vital role. But colour is much more than just visual data – it shapes our experiences and interactions. We use colour to communicate, to connect and to navigate our daily lives. Colour is what makes the world truly beautiful.
Being able to interpret colour-coded information in textbooks, graphs, and diagrams is vital. Early awareness of deficiencies in colour vision is essential, as our research shows that younger individuals adapt faster to colour enhancement lenses. By enhancing their ability to distinguish between reddish and greenish shades and experience a broader range of colours, we support their choices in education and career planning, empowering them to live life more confidently.
There are many professions that require accurate colour vision, even in ways we might not immediately recognise. From simple tasks like colouring an Excel cell or creating a diagram to more complex challenges like distinguishing colour-coded cables, lights, or surfaces, colour vision plays a crucial role.
More than 100 professions rely on good colour vision, including graphic designers, butchers, electricians, beauticians, hairdressers, warehouse workers, carpenters, agricultural workers, and many others. The good news is that colour enhancement eyewear can make these roles accessible for individuals with colour vision deficiencies.
Laws and regulations regarding colour vision requirements vary by country. However, on average, individuals with colour blindness are restricted from professions such as pilots, ship and train operators, as well as roles in high-risk factories, hazardous operations, and armed forces that require the use of firearms.
Being able to see colours is not only a requirement for obtaining a driving licence; it also helps us interpret maps, tourist signs, traffic lights, road signs, and other warning signals.
Please note that all colour enhancement lenses are filter lenses, meaning they block a small portion of the colour spectrum. For optimal performance and safety, these lenses should only be used in proper daylight, especially when driving.
Deficient colour perception can cause challenges in daily activities that people with normal colour vision might not even notice. Simple tasks like choosing your morning outfit, selecting ripe fruit, cooking meat to the right doneness, matching socks, or enjoying a football match are not the same experience for someone with colour blindness.
An autumn walk through a forest in October with its array of hues, an April afternoon in a park surrounded by blossoming flowers, a stroll through the vibrant rows of a bazaar in a foreign city, or enjoying the orange glow of a seashore sunset – these are the moments our colour blind customers experience in a new way when they try enhancement lenses for the first time.
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about colour vision deficiency.
The most common form of colour blindness is the red-green colour vision deficiency (anomalous trichromacy), when 2 out of the 3 cones, the red (protan type, including protanomaly and protanopia) or the green (deutan type, including deuteranomaly and deuteranopia) are sending the brain incorrect signals during colour perception. This error makes distinguishing reddish and greenish hues challenging, often leading to confusion when identifying colours like red, orange, brown, purple, and green in various daily situations.
We separate the rare conditions of partial colour blindness (trichromacy), where only 2 cones are functional and complete colour blindness (monochromacy), where only 1.
Colour blindness is primarily inherited through genes and is present from birth. The genes responsible for colour vision are located on the X chromosome. Men have only one X chromosome, while women have two, which is why this condition is more common among men (1 in 12) than women (1 in 200).
In some cases, colour blindness can also be acquired due to medical conditions (e.g., diabetes) or long-term medication use.
As of today, there is no cure for this condition, but the ability of distinguishing between reddish and greenish shades can be significantly enhanced.
Currently, there is no cure for colour vision deficiency. However, colour enhancement lenses (filter lenses) can significantly improve the ability to distinguish between reddish and greenish shades.
Frequent use maximises the enhancement potential for individuals, although they must continue wearing the lenses to maintain the effect. Some users have reported that after a few months of usage, they perceive colours more vividly even without the enhancement eyewear. (This phenomenon is not yet clinically proven.)
It is quite common, as approximately 4% of the entire population is affected by red-green colour vision deficiency. This condition is more prevalent among men (8%) than women (0.5%).
Globally, there are an estimated 300 million colour blind individuals, which means there is likely a colour blind relative in every second family and a colour blind child in every second classroom.
People with colour vision deficiencies perceive colours differently from those with normal colour vision. Most of them struggle to distinguish between reddish and greenish hues: green may appear more yellowish, purple might look more like blue, pink could seem greyish, while brown and green, or yellow and orange are often confused.
If you have normal colour vision, you can use the Chromatic Vision Simulator app to experience how various colour vision conditions affect the perception of objects around you. (Download it to Android or iOS)
Unfortunately, yes. This is the most severe form of colour blindness, known as monochromacy. It is a rare type of colour vision deficiency, when a person sees the world only in shades of grey, much like a black-and-white photograph. Also referred to as total colour blindness, it affects approximately 1 in 100,000 people.
Official diagnosis must always be carried out by an ophthalmologist or optometrist. These specialists use manual tools such as the Ishihara test (colour bubble numbers) or the Farnsworth-Munsell test. Some professionals also use an Anomaloscope, a specialised instrument used to quantify and characterise colour blindness.
However, if you’re looking for a modern and reliable tool to check your colour vision in just 5 minutes — whether you have a colour vision deficiency or normal colour vision — try the COLORON online tester here.
In our eyes the red, green, and blue cone receptors are responsible for colour vision by forwarding their message to the brain. In case of red-green colour vision deficiency, the sensitivity of either the red or green receptors has shifted towards each other along the colour spectrum, so they detect different wavelengths than they should. This shift causes errors in colour perception and uncertainty in colour recognition.
The purpose of our lenses is to “reposition” the receptor that has shifted sensitivity. By using advanced colour-filter technology, the lenses support a better colour perception by effectively shifting the receptor’s sensitivity back in the correct direction. This is also why colour enhancement lenses are always tinted.
Whenever you use colour correction solutions – such as filter lenses – your eyes and brain need time to adapt to the new conditions. This is called chromatic (or colour) adaptation and we distinguish between two types.
Short-term adaptation, always necessary when you put on the eyewear (appr. 5-10 min.), but the duration tends to shorten over time. Individuals notice an improvement in colour discrimination and perform better in tasks such as the Ishihara (colour bubble) numbers test.
Long-term adaptation involves training the brain to enhance colour identification and maximising your potential, resulting in a better and more precise recognition and naming of colours (2-3 weeks).
Our team is dedicated to establish core knowledge about colour perception and colour vision deficiencies. Check out our studies and dive into the science behind colour blindness.