Color Blindness Awareness Month: Ensuring Perceptually Supportive Experiences

September is Color Blindness Awareness Month! The National Eye Institute defines colorblindness as difficulty distinguishing between specific pairs of colors. 

Join the NC State Libraries on September 24th 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. in the DH Hill Jr. Library Lobby to learn more about colorblindness and try out the EnChroma Colorblind Glasses, plus enter to win a free pair of glasses for yourself! To enter, complete EnChroma’s color blind test and then enter your score on the Library’s EnChroma Giveaway Entry Form. 

The three common types of color vision deficiencies are: Protan (difficulty perceiving red), Deutan (difficulty perceiving green), and Tritan (difficulty perceiving blue and yellow). Explore a presentation demonstrating how each affects visual perception.

A lot of color blind people don’t find out they’re color blind until after 7th grade (nearly 50%) and almost 20% not until after high school, according to EnChroma. At NC State, an estimated 1,530 students and 425 faculty and staff experience color vision differences. Regardless of how we perceive the visual world around us, we can ensure a supportive – and yes, colorful – teaching and learning experience by following some simple strategies:

• Use bold, italics, or symbols – not only color – for emphasis
• Maintain a 4.5 to 1 text-to-background ratio, using  WebAIM Contrast Checker. (On a light background, the text should be at least 4.5 times darker; On a dark background, the text should be at least 4.5 times lighter.)
• Avoid color pairings that are challenging for individuals with color vision deficiencies (such as red and green). Test graphics for color contrast with Coblis: Color Blind Simulator.

The Libraries have several pairs of EnChroma Colorblind Glasses available to borrow on their Wellness and Accessibility Lending page. Explore more with the University Libraries’ resources for colorblindness.