Color Blindness

Colour blindness refers to a range of conditions that are characterized by an inability to see
certain colours. Colour blindness occurs when one or more of the cone types are faulty or
missing. This means that you will have difficulty seeing the cone colour that is missing or
faulty. For example, if the red cone is missing you will be unable to see colours containing
red as clearly. Most people with colour blindness are born with it, but it can arise as a result
of illness or medical treatments. Men are more likely to be colour blind than women –
approximately 8% of men are affected by colour blindness compared to only 0.4% of
women.

There are different types of color blindness:

1. Red-green color blindness: This is the most common type and includes:
• Protanopia: Individuals have no red cones (L-cones), causing difficulty
distinguishing red and green.
• Deuteranopia: Individuals have no green cones (M-cones), making it hard to
tell red and green apart.
• Protanomaly: Reduced sensitivity to red light, but some red is still visible.
• Deuteranomaly: Reduced sensitivity to green light, but some green is still
visible.
2. Blue-yellow color blindness: This is less common and includes:
• Tritanomaly: The blue cones (S-cones) are not functioning correctly, making
it hard to distinguish blue and green, and yellow and red.
• Tritanopia: The blue cones are absent.
3. Complete color blindness: Also known as achromatopsia or monochromacy, this
rare condition involves a complete absence or malfunction of all three cone types,
resulting in perception of the world in shades of gray.
4. Anomalous trichromatism: This refers to a condition where the individual’s color
perception falls between normal vision and the more severe forms of color
blindness mentioned above. It is often referred to as a “weakness” in color
perception.

The Ishihara test is a color perception test for red green color deficiencies, the first in a
class of successful color vision test called pseudo - isochromatic plates (PIP). It was
named after it’s designer, Shinobu Ishihara,a professor at the University of Tokyo, who first
published his test in 1917.

The test consists of a number of coloured plates, called Ishihara plates, each of which
contains a circle of dots appearing randomized in color and size. Within the pattern are
dots which form a number or shape clearly visible to those with normal color vision, and
visible, or difficult to see,to those with red green color vision defect. Other plates are
intentionally designed to reveal numbers only to those with a red green color vision
deficiency, and be invisible to those with normal red green color vision. The full test
consists of 38 plates, but the existence of a severe deficiency is usually apparent after only
a few plates. There are also Ishihara test consisting of 10,14 or 24 test plates, and plates in
some versions ask the viewer to trace a line rather than read a number.

The plates make up several different test design:

• Demonstration plate ( plate number one, typically the numeral 12): Designed to be
visible by all persons, whether normal or color vision deficient. For Demonstration
purpose only, and usually not considered in making a score for screening purposes.
• Transformation plates: Individuals with color vision defect should see a different
figure from Individuals with normal color vision.
• Vanishing plates: only Individuals with normal color vision could recognize the
figures.
• Hidden digit plates: only Individuals with color vision defect could recognize the
figure.
• Diagnostic plates: intended to determine the type of color vision defect and
severity of it.
• Tracing plates: instead of reading a number, subjects are asked to trace a visible
line across the plate.

Aim:

To access the participants for color blindness if any , using Ishihara test of color blindness.

Method

a)Participant

Name:
Age:
Gender:
Qualification:

b) Materials Required

1. Ishihara test designed by Dr. Ishihara

2. Manual of the test

Procedure

The subject was seated comfortably and a good rapport was established, hence the
following instructions were given. “You will be provided with some colored plates, in which
each plate contains a circle of dots appearing randomized in color and size. Inside each
circle there is a numerical, which is to be recalled, and the numeral appeared on the plate
should be recalled in not more than three seconds delay”. With these instruction the
experiment begins and finally the subject is conveyed with the thanks after completing the
test.

Precautions:

• The plates are held 75 cm away from the subject .

• The plate are presented one after the another, and each plates should be presented
not more than 10 seconds.

Scoring

If only 13 or less than 13 plates were red, then the color vision regarded as deficient.
However, in reference to plate 18,19,20 and 21,those who cannot read numbers on these
plates and those who can read easily th numbers the 5,2,45 and 73 on the plates 14,10,13,
and 17 respectively were regarded as normal. From the plates 22 to 25,a person with strog
protanomaly and proptanopia can read only 6, 2 ,5 and 6. In case of mild protanomaly, both
the numerals on each plate are read but 6,2,5 and 6 are clearer than the other numerals. In
deuteranopia and strong deuteranomaly only 2,4,3 and 9 are read, and in case of mild
deuteranomaly ,both the numerals on each plate are read but 2,4,3 and9are clearer than
the other numerals.