One common difficulty is identifying fresh produce. Ripeness is frequently judged by colour — bananas turning yellow, avocados darkening, meat changing tone — which can be unreliable or confusing for colourblind shoppers. Packaging labels may also use colour to indicate flavour, variety or nutritional differences, making similar products hard to distinguish.

Expiry labels pose another issue. Date stamps are sometimes printed in low-contrast colours or placed over patterned backgrounds, making them difficult to read. Similarly, discounted or clearance items are often marked using coloured stickers without accompanying text, leaving shoppers uncertain about pricing.

Product branding can further complicate navigation. Different varieties of the same product may be differentiated only by colour, such as sauces, cleaning products or snack packaging. This increases reliance on memorisation, assistance from others or time-consuming label checks.

Digital screens within supermarkets, including self-checkout interfaces and aisle signage, may also rely on colour-based prompts. When errors or warnings are indicated only through colour changes, important information can be missed.

These challenges can lead to frustration, slower shopping experiences and reduced independence. Many colourblind individuals develop coping strategies, such as shopping at familiar stores, using shopping lists with exact product names, or relying on smartphone apps. However, these workarounds place additional cognitive load on what should be a simple task.

Improved awareness and inclusive design can make a significant difference. Clear text labels, high contrast printing, symbols and consistent layouts benefit everyone, not just those with colour vision differences.

Professional colour vision assessment can also help individuals better understand their specific challenges and explore tools that may improve colour differentiation in real-world environments like supermarkets.

Try our iRo lens testing kits today, and click here to find your nearest colour vision optometrist.

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One of the most powerful ways to advocate is through education. Many people are unaware that colour blindness is not a single condition but a spectrum of colour vision differences. Sharing accurate information helps reduce stereotypes, such as the assumption that colourblind people “see in black and white” or that colour vision challenges are insignificant.

Advocacy also involves challenging design norms. Colour-dependent systems are everywhere — from school worksheets and workplace dashboards to public signage and digital platforms. Encouraging the use of labels, patterns, contrast and text alternatives alongside colour benefits not only colourblind individuals but also people with low vision, cognitive differences or situational visual limitations.

In educational settings, advocacy can mean supporting early testing and appropriate accommodations. Children with colour vision deficiency may struggle quietly with tasks that rely heavily on colour cues, often being labelled inattentive or careless rather than unsupported. Raising awareness among teachers and caregivers can prevent unnecessary frustration and build more inclusive learning environments.

Workplace advocacy is equally important. Some professions rely heavily on colour recognition, and while safety must always be prioritised, assumptions should not replace proper assessment. Clear communication, adjusted workflows and appropriate tools can allow many colourblind individuals to perform effectively without compromising standards.

Listening to lived experience is another crucial element. Advocacy should amplify the voices of colourblind people rather than speak over them. Personal stories provide insight into challenges that may otherwise be overlooked and help shape practical, respectful solutions.

Finally, advocacy includes promoting access to professional support. Colour vision testing, tailored advice and appropriate visual tools can make a meaningful difference, but only if people know these options exist.

Supporting the colourblind community is not about “correcting” difference — it is about recognising it, accommodating it and valuing diverse ways of seeing the world.

Try our iRo lens testing kits today, and click here to find your nearest colour vision optometrist.

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Understanding Colour Vision Deficit:

Colour vision deficit, commonly known as colour blindness, affects a significant portion of the population, primarily males. It is characterised by the inability to differentiate between certain colours, most commonly red and green. Those with colour vision deficits often experience difficulties in everyday tasks, such as distinguishing traffic lights or discerning between ripe and unripe fruits. This condition can impact both personal and professional lives, limiting career choices and inhibiting self-expression.

Ian Rosser’s Visionary Approach

Ian Rosser, a talented optometrist based in Australia, recognised the profound impact colour vision deficiency had on people’s lives. Drawing on his expertise, he embarked on a mission to develop a solution that would enhance their colour perception and enrich their visual experiences. Rosser’s innovation lies in the creation of specialised iRo lenses, meticulously designed to compensate for colour deficiencies and allow wearers to perceive a broader spectrum of colours. View video

The Science Behind iRo Lenses and Glasses:

iRo Vision Lenses developed by Rosser utilise advanced optical technology to filter specific wavelengths of light. These glasses effectively modify the colour spectrum that reaches the wearer’s eyes by selectively enhancing or diminishing certain colours. This alteration in perception enables individuals with colour vision deficits to distinguish between previously indistinguishable colours. The glasses provide wearers with a new world of vibrant hues, unlocking a renewed appreciation for the beauty of their surroundings.

Impact and Personal Stories

The introduction of Ian Rosser’s iRo Lenses has had a transformative impact on the lives of those with colour vision deficits. Individuals have shared heartwarming stories of newfound experiences and self-expression, from appreciating vibrant sunsets to confidently coordinating outfits. The ability to perceive a broader colour palette has even opened up new career opportunities in fields where colour differentiation is crucial, such as design, art, and even certain scientific disciplines. Rosser’s dedication to enhancing colour vision has truly changed lives and reshaped how individuals perceive the world.

Ian Rosser’s pioneering work in developing colour vision glasses has brought new hope and joy to individuals living with colour vision deficits. By embracing his visionary approach, he has enriched the lives of many, enabling them to experience the full spectrum of colours and fostering a deeper connection with the world of visual wonders that surrounds us all.

Try the lenses via the iRo Lens testing kit and see if they work for you.

The post Unveiling a Vibrant World: The Visionary Journey of Ian Rosser and iRo Lenses for Colour Vision Glasses appeared first on Colour Vision Optical.

In this image you can see that if you have colour vision deficit, it depends entirely on its type and severity. It is not the same for each person.

There are different types of colour blindness, including red-green, blue-yellow, and complete colour blindness. If you have red-green colour blindness, you’ll generally have more colour vision understanding than if you had a blue-yellow deficit.

• Severe colour vision loss happens when all three cone cells are absent.
• Mild colour blindness happens when all three cone cells are present and one cone cell does not work correctly.

The most common type is red-green colour vision loss, affecting 8 per cent of males and up to 0.4 per cent of females. It is called deuteranomaly which occurs when the M-cones (medium wavelength cones) of the eye are present but dysfunctional. It causes green to look redder, which makes it difficult to differentiate between shades of red and green.

Protanomaly happens when the eye’s L-cones (long wavelength cones) are present but dysfunctional. It causes red to look greener.

Protanopia occurs when the L-cones of the eye are missing. Missing M-cones are responsible for deuteranopia. Both conditions cause trouble differentiating between red and green.

Blue-yellow colour blindness is less common than red-green, though red-green colour blindness can often accompany it. With this type of colour blindness, you have trouble differentiating between blue and green and between yellow and red.

Tritanomaly occurs when the eye’s S-cones (short wavelength cones) are present but dysfunctional. If you have tritanomaly, blue and green will look alike, and red and yellow will look alike.

Tritanopia occurs when the S-cones of the eye are missing, which causes colours to look dampened. It also makes it difficult to differentiate between colours with attributes of blue and yellow, such as green, purple, red, and pink.

If you believe you have a colour vision deficiency click here to take our online test.

The next step is to purchase a testing kit, try the iRo Lenses for yourself, and see the difference they make to the colours around you.

Then head to our website to see the full range of qualified iRO Lens Optometrists who will give you a thorough eye exam and prescribe a pair of glasses with iRo Lenses for you.

The post What do colour-blind people see? appeared first on Colour Vision Optical.

1. 99% of all colourblind people are not really colour blind but colour deficient; the term colour.
2. Red-green colour blindness is a combination of red-blindness (protan defects) and green-blindness (deutan defects).
3. Colour blindness is more prevalent among males than females, because the most common form of colour vision deficiency is encoded on the X sex chromosome.
4. “What colour is this?” is the most annoying question you can ask your colourblind friend.
5. There are three main types of colour vision deficiency: protan, deutan, and tritan defects.
6. Strongly colourblind people might only be able to tell about 20 hues apart from each other, with normal colour vision this number raises to more than 100 different hues.
7. Iro lenses or glasses can improve colour discrimination in your problem areas but can not give you back normal colour vision.
8. Ishihara plates are the best-known colour blindness tests, but they are not the most accurate ones.
9. About 8% of all men have some form of colour vision deficiency.
10. Severity of colour blindness is usually divided into the following four categories: mild, moderate, strong, and absolute.
11. The terms protan, deutan, and tritan are Greek and translate to first, second, and third.
12. A father can’t pass his red-green colour blindness on to his sons.
13. Dogs are not colourblind.
14. Colour vision deficiency would be a much better term, but it is not as easy to pronounce compared to colour blindness.
15. There are people which are really suffering from complete colour blindness, which is called achromatopsia or monochromacy.
16. Blue-yellow colour blindness would be better called blue-green colour blindness, as these are the problem colours.
17. There exists every nuance of colour vision deficiency severity, starting from almost normal colour vision up to complete colour blindness.
18. Protanopia, deuteranopia, and tritanopia are types of dichromacy, which means you have only two different colour receptors (cones) compared to three with normal colour vision.
19. If a woman is red-green colourblind, all her sons will also be colourblind.
20. Colourblind people can feel handicapped in everyday life, and almost nobody recognizes this.
21. 95% of all colourblind people are suffering from red-green colour blindness.
22. Colour correcting lenses change the light spectrum which stimulates the cones to send different signals to the brain’s vision processing region known as the Occipital Cortex.
23. Red-green colour blindness is a recessive sex linked trait, which causes more men to be colourblind than women. (8% males. 0.5% Females)
24. John Dalton wrote the first known scientific paper regarding colour blindness and he made the hereditary connection. So named Daltonism for many years.
25. Protanomaly, deuteranomaly, and tritanomaly are types of anomalous trichromacy, which means you have three different colour receptors (cones) like people with normal colour vision but one of them is shifted in its peak.
26. In certain countries you need normal colour vision to get a drivers license.
27. Deuteranomaly—one form of red-green colour blindness—is by far the most common form of colour blindness.
28. More women than men are carriers of colour blindness, even though they are not colourblind themselves.
29. Some people get rejected from a job assignment because of their colour vision deficiency.
30. About 0.5% of all women are suffering from colour blindness.
31. Blue-yellow colour blindness is a dominant, not sex linked trait, which means both men and women are equally affected.
32. Red-green colour blindness doesn’t mean that you are only mixing up red and green colours, but the whole colour spectrum can cause you problems.
33. The anomaloscope is the most accurate colour blindness test known today.
34. Police officers, firefighter, and airline pilot are the most famous jobs which require normal colour vision in some countries.

1. There is no cure for colour blindness. (iRo lenses significantly decrease colour confusion )
2. Pseudoisochromatic plates were introduced by Professor J. Stilling of Strassburg in 1883; the Ishihara plates by Dr. Shinobu Ishihara followed almost half a century later.
3. Different chromosomes are involved as sources for the different types of colour vision deficiency.
4. Knowing when meat is cooked is difficult for anyone with colour vision deficiency
5. Monochromacy—also called achromatopsia—means you have only one type of colour receptor (cones) in your eyes.
6. Colour blindness is also called Daltonism, after the scientist John Dalton.
7. The most often used types of colour blindness tests are: pseudoisochromatic plates, arrangement test, and the anomaloscope.
8. Better colour vision deficiency terms would be: red-blindness for protanopia, red-weakness for protanomaly, green-blindness for deuteranopia, green-weakness for deuteranomaly, blue-blindness for tritanopia, and blue-weakness for tritanomaly.
9. John Dalton believed his whole life that the cause of his colour blindness is a coloured fluid inside his eyeballs.
10. Many colourblind people have problems with matching clothes and buying ripe tomatoes.
11. Quite a lot of people with normal colour vision can’t pass an Ishihara plates test free of errors.
12. The International Colour Vision Society is scientifically investigating every aspect of colour vision and colour vision deficiency.
13. Confusion lines of the CIE 1931 colour space show exactly the colours of confusion for all forms of colour blindness.
14. Only a whole battery of colour vision tests can reveal the true type and severity of your colour vision deficiency.
15. John Dalton was also colourblind himself.
16. Iro lenses work for 95% of colour vision deficient people.

Source: https://www.color-blindness.com/50-facts-about-color-blindness/

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Some people think traffic lights are an issue for everyone suffering from a colour vision deficiency, but they are wrong. The colours for traffic lights are very well chosen and they are always arranged in a certain order. So this is not a problem at all for most colour-blind people.

So we asked a patient what is being colour-blind (iRochromatic) really like?  And he said –

“Colour blindness can be like watching television with the red and green knobs broken!”

In addition –

• Our sunrises and sunsets are not interesting
• Our rainbows are plain
• Our fruit is not ripe
• Our meat is not cooked
• Our clothes do not go together
• Our paint charts are a blur
• Our printer/camera batteries are never low
• We all have a box of 24 different coloured pencils we never use
• Red and green dot clearance sales are great
• Travel route coding and signs are a waste of time
• A Sunburn can’t really be seen, only if the skin is almost glowing.
• There is no difference between the colours for vacant (green) and occupied (red).
• Flowers and fruits can’t be that easily spotted sometimes.
• And you can’t tell if a fruit or vegetable is ripe or not yet.

…and that’s just for starters!”

Another patient said “Some of my friends upon hearing about my colour-blindness made fun of me, and they continue to do so. This was immensely frustrating initially but as time passed I started to take these remarks in a sportive manner and ended up creating curt and snappy replies to almost all the colour-blind jokes in the book.”

“I first realized I was colour-blind at the age of twenty.
The discovery was flabbergasting. It took a while to understand the possibility and probability of me confusing two colours for 20 years straight without doubting that something was wrong with what I saw. I for twenty years straight I had been falling prey to the solipsism fallacy. I was so sure that the way I saw the world was the only truth, but now I know that it was only my truth.”

Currently, there is no cure for colour blindness (iRochromatic), but until then, at least a good number of colour blind people can have some idea of what colours look like and decide if they’re missing out on anything by using our testing kits and then using our lenses. The testing kits are available for purchase via our web site  – click here – or visit one of our Optometrists in your area for a more detailed test.

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