Seeing Differently

About 300 million people worldwide experience color vision deficiency. This is what the world looks like through their eyes.

👁️
1 in 12
Men Affected
~8% of all males worldwide
👁️
1 in 200
Women Affected
~0.5% due to two X chromosomes
🌍
300M
People Worldwide
More than the population of the USA
🧬
99%
Inherited Genetically
Carried on the X chromosome
The Ishihara Color Test

A circle of dots hides a number

The Ishihara test, created in 1917 by Dr. Shinobu Ishihara, uses plates of colored dots to reveal numbers visible only to those with normal color vision. People with red/green deficiency see either a different number or nothing at all.

The plate on the left contains the number 74. If you see 21 instead, you may have a red/green deficiency. If you can't see any number, you may have total red/green color blindness.

The hidden number is 74
Color Vision Simulator
Normal trichromatic vision — you see all three cone types working together
Protanopia
Red Blind
Red cones are missing. Reds appear dark, greens and reds become indistinguishable.
~1.3%
Deuteranopia
Green Blind
Green cones are missing. The most common type. Greens shift toward reds and browns.
~1.2%
Tritanopia
Blue Blind
Blue cones are missing. Extremely rare. Blues become greenish, yellows become pinkish.
~0.001%
Common Confusion Pairs
looks identical
Red & Green
(Protan/Deutan)
looks identical
Blue & Purple
(Protan/Deutan)
looks identical
Orange & Green
(Deutan)
hard to tell apart
Yellow & Light Green
(Protan/Deutan)
looks identical
Blue & Green
(Tritan)
looks identical
Red & Dark Grey
(Protan)
Global Prevalence Among Males
Type Distribution (% of all males)
5%
Normal
Deuteranomaly (weak green) — 5%
Protanopia (no red) — 1.3%
Deuteranopia (no green) — 1.2%
Other types — 0.5%
Why More Men?

Color vision genes sit on the X chromosome. Males have only one X (XY), so a single defective gene causes color blindness. Females have two X chromosomes (XX), so a working copy on either X compensates. A woman must inherit the gene from both parents to be affected.

"Color is not what you see. It's what your brain decides to show you."
Neuroscience Principle