Colour Defectiveness, how to help in the colour deficiency?

Lately, there have been videos going viral on social media in which colour defective people ‘seeing colours’ for the first time using specialised glasses. The glasses provide these individuals a way to view the world in vibrant, living colour, as everyone else around them is able to.

People with colour deficiency often do not know they are colour defective until they are tested. Gaya Opticians is here to help you determine whether you are colour defective and also to advice you.

The World of the Colour Blind

Contrary to common misconceptions, a person who is colour defective does not see only grey. He still usually sees colour to some extent, but often the colours appear dull or washed out and can be easily confused with other colours. We have talked a lot on the various types of colour defectiveness and how these colour defective people see the world in our previous blog which you can read by clicking here.

Innovations in Colour Vision

Colour defectiveness can impair certain aspects of daily life and limit certain activities or job options and therefore there are a number of companies out there working on technology to overcome these difficulties. While there is no cure for colour vision deficiency (CVD), there are supports available that can sometimes contribute to increased colour perception.

It all started with a scientist, Don McPherson who usually creates eyewear for doctors to use as protection during laser surgery. He found out that the sunglasses for surgeons can be worn outside the surgical room also. McPherson wore the same sunglasses while meeting his friend. The latter found the glasses so cool that he wanted to try it. Upon wearing it, he realised that he could see the orange traffic cones nearby in its ‘original’ colour and he was colour defective. McPherson realised he created a sunglass which enables colour defective people to see colour better. Hence was created EnChroma.

Eyeglasses/Sunglasses

There are a couple of brands of colour enhancing glasses available that help some individuals with red-green colour defectiveness.

Both EnChroma and o2Amp Oxy-Iso Colour Correction Glasses work for about 80% of people with red-green colour defectiveness – which means that not everyone will have the same experience as those that appear in the videos. The lenses enhance colour perception by filtering out the light into different spectral components. EnChroma has two versions – indoor, designed for looking at computer screens and outdoor, sunglasses.

Another solution is a custom designed Colour Correction System in which contact lenses and glasses are customized for the individual and are available with or without a prescription. These lenses work by changing the wavelength of the colours as they enter the eye to enhance colour discrimination and perception.

Apps for CVD

There are a growing number of apps available for smartphones and tablets that serve as colour vision aids for those with CVD. One example is the Colourblind Avenger which is a colour identification program will allows the person to use their mobile device as a visual aid. The user takes a photo or selects an existing photo and when he touches an area on the image the app displays the colour of the selected area.

Huevue is another app of colour defective tools that help people with CVD identify, match and coordinate colours. There are many other apps available out there to help aid those with CVD and educate others about living with the condition.

There are even video games and software design tools that are now created with colour defective modes to allow use by people with CVD. While none of these tools and aids are able to restore colour vision permanently, they do allow those with the condition to live a more vibrant life.

Maybe you are colour defective or you know someone or even if you are not sure you are colour defective, schedule an appointment with Gaya Opticians for a test and advices.