Are You Color Blind? Find Out With These Simple (And Free) Tests
Color blindness is a misunderstood phenomenon. It doesn't mean you see in only black and white: it means certain colors don't register in your visual spectrum. Many people go through life without realizing they even have this condition.
If you're concerned you might, try out one of these free online tests. They can help give you a simple diagnosis that can serve as a useful guide for a professional eye care specialist.
Color Blind Simulator
The website ETRE.com made an absolutely free color blind simulator that works by tinting pictures in ways that simulate specific types of color blindness. Simply upload a photo, choose a type of color blindness, and click the "upload" button.
Now two different pictures will pop up, one normal, and the other one tinted. If you see differences between the two, you don't suffer from that type of color blindness. If you can't, then you do. It can help differentiate between the three different types of color blindness.
Color Arrangement Tests
The D-15 dichotomous test is an accurate way to not only diagnose color blindness, but to define its severity and type. It works by arranging very similar colors from one shade to the next. People who are color blind will put them in order in one of three different ways.
It does this by measuring multiple technical variables. In layman's terms, it measures the severity of your confusion between colors, the colors that you get wrong, and the total number of errors you make. It then uses this information to craft a detailed description. A free version is available at ColorBlindness.com.
Ishihara Test
The Ishihara color blindness test is one of the oldest and most reliable tests available. Developed by ophthalmologist Shinobu Ishihara, it tests the severity and type of your color blindness by showing you a variety of slides with small circles of color. Small numbers are printed on most of the slides in a color in a way that makes it impossible for people with color blindness to detect.
Since most people won't be color blind across the spectrum, they may end up missing only a specific color. The colors that you miss help guide the ophthalmologist towards your specific color blindness. This online version is free, uses similar slides, and gives you instant results.
Even after taking one of these tests, you should have a pretty good feel on whether or not you are color blind. If you are, make sure to talk to your eye doctor (like those at Bergh-White Opticians, Inc.) about any changes you might need to make in your prescription eyeglasses.
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