Color weakness and color blindness

People have five senses to perceive the world and to get along. But far the most important thing is seeing. In fact 90% of the information of our environment is perceived by the eye (hearing 5%, sense of touch 2%, tasting 2%, smelling 1%).

Therefore, we must be able to maximize the possibilities of seeing. A reduction in information affects the quality of life, reduces the security of information processing and affects the response time. This applies, in particular, to all types of color defect. Unfortantly there is no medical treatment possible.

The inability to distinguish colors is mostly congenital, rarely caused by injury to the visual pathway (up to the brain). The most common is hereditary red-green blindness. It occurs in eight per cent of men and 0.5 per cent of women. The two colors are perceived as gray and confused. Rare is the yellow-blue blindness and very rarely the total color blindness. This is about 1 out of 100'000 people.

For example at school a color-deficiency or a color blindness are especially disadvantageous. Colors play a big role in learning and self-assessment. Affected children may paint on their drawings red grass or a green rooftop. Often they get teased by the others.

Besides that the color weakness or color blindness is harmless and we learn to live with the differences of perception.