The world has moved past the time when people with slight differences in their minds, were called disabled. The new term for them is “differently-abled” as they surely develop some amazing new ability to overcome the one that is lacking.
Colorblind people fit this category too. Although they are unable to view the world in full colors, they still manage to go on about in their lives. Imagine the annoyance of not being able to see grass as green or the sky in its perfect blue? However, they still cope with the lack of colors in their life wonderfully.
Moreover, science has progressed fast as it has introduced colorblind glasses. These do not treat your color blindness completely but help you experience some colors that you never saw in your life before.
Colorblindness does not let people perceive one or more of the three basic colors i.e. red, blue, or green. It happens because one of the three photoreceptors that sense these colors in the retina is absent or malfunctioning. So the wavelengths coming to the retina are overlapped and instead of a distinct color, a bland or dull color is seen by the individual.
Thus a colorblind person cannot see one of the three major colors and they keep on spending their lives without knowing that they are not actually visualizing the colors as others perceive them. As you are aware, we do not see anything from the eyes of any other person, how will we know that their red is not our red? Quite a mystery!!
There are a lot of doubts about colorblind glasses like how do colorblind glasses work? Is it worth buying them? etc.
If you are also one of those persons who are curious about the working of colorblind glasses, then you are at the right place. We will cover everything that is making you worried about it. Before moving on to the mechanism of how they work, let us see what are colorblind glasses?
What are colorblind glasses?
Colorblind people live just a normal life without having many problems as people with normal vision might consider. Most of them live their lives without knowing that they are actually lacking something. But those who learn that they are not able to see certain shades of this world would love to have a look if it is possible for them. Thus the use of colorblind glasses comes into view.
Colorblind glasses are actually the way or the frame through which the colors of the world will be visible to you. They do it by changing the wavelengths of light that are coming to your retina to make them of the length that your eyes can perceive as a specific distinct color.
This way you are able to see what was missing. People do not realize it before they actually see the colors that they were unable to recognize as real.
You must have seen some videos or ads on your television or some social media page showing how people react after they see through colorblind glasses. Those ads are really emotional and show how stunned people become after getting a complete look at the colors that nature has bestowed upon us. They also tell us the importance of the colors that some of the people are missing.
Some of them get to know the real beauty of their multiple colored parrots; some of them see how beautiful the color of rose is. Every such thing becomes possible through the usage of colorblind glasses.
Thus to say that colorblind glasses are the instruments that bring into sight the true beauty of this world will not be a brag. Moreover, they come in varieties and people with different types of color visions can have one according to which color their retina cannot see.
One of the plus points of these glasses is that they do not look bad once you wear them. Just looking like other normal or even more stylish glasses, they serve the purpose without others knowing what you are wearing them for.
This was just the general introduction of colorblind glasses. And apart from the above-mentioned features, there are certain limitations of these glasses too. That detailed review of these glasses with the limits of their functionality is discussed ahead.
Do Colorblind Glasses Work for Everyone?
If the answer should be between ‘yes’ or ‘no’, then yes, colorblind glasses do work and make you see the world from the eyes that everyone sees it from. But there are certain complications in it and people need to know the complexities of their problems before they come to decide whether they should use colorblind glasses or not. To understand what those complexities are, just read the passages below with patience.
Colorblind people lack the complete functioning of certain types of cones photoreceptors. The most common type of colorblindness is red-green colorblindness. This means they have difficulty in perceiving red or green colors properly.
Actually, the world doesn’t turn into black and white for them. They just see different shades of these two colors. For instance, they might view red as brown and green in some other dull or bland shade.
Now, there is a type of color blindness which includes a complete absence of any color perception. That is too rare to be seen normally and the world does become black and white for them. We are not dealing with them here as colorblind glasses are not at all made for such people.
Coming back to the point, till now, you are aware that the most common type of color vision deficiency is red-green color blindness in which people can see alternative shades of their respective colors. There are very few people who completely lack green or red photoreceptors. Now, what do you think they see? They do not see different shades but those colors actually become black and white for them.
This type of colorblindness is also very rare and you will not see it in almost any colorblind person around you. As it also involves a complete absence of cons photoreceptors, colorblind glasses will also not work for people with this type of colorblindness.
So in short, what have we inferred from the above-detailed information on colorblind glasses.
- They will not work for people having a complete lack of vision or total color blindness.
- Colorblind glasses will also not work for those people who have a complete absence of red or green photoreceptors.
These points, no doubt, limit the functions of colorblind glasses. But still, they mark their importance due to the fact that those types of colorblindness problems are very rare to be observed around.
They are also known for their usage and applicability in most of the places. This is simply because most people have that common type of colorblindness that does not include the complete absence of photoreceptors.
How do colorblind glasses work?
After looking at the usage and applications of colorblind glasses, the mystery left is how do they actually work? Well, the mechanism is not as complex as any other thing in science.
Scientists, after using their in-depth knowledge of physics of optical fibers and physiology of vision, developed these glasses and made the things possible which were never thought to be. So, to understand how these glasses work, it is important to know how the eyes of normal and colorblind people work for sensing a color.
Our eyes are able to see colors because the nerves attached to three basic color receptors (red, green, and blue) carry messages to the brain as soon as the wavelength from that particular color reaches there. Our brain then tells our eyes which color is that and our eyes are able to see that distinguished color.
For colorblind persons, to draw that distinction of colors is something of a concern. They are not able to see all the colors as separate and clear shades as they often see them in some muddy shade. But why is it so? The reason is that the wavelength coming to the eyes of color vision deficient persons are not perceived as distinct wavelengths but are overlapped.
Thus, the brain sends the message to the eyes to those overlapped wavelengths and that color is seen as some different shade. This happens because of the malfunctioning of cons as they are the main things where there is some deficiency.
So, how do colorblind glasses overcome that deficiency and make you see that color? These glasses are made with a technique that will alter the wavelength reaching your retina.
There are colored filters in them which make it easy for the brain to distinguish colors and the shades in between them. They actually filter the wavelengths which are in between the basic colors e.g. red and green. The wavelengths which are in between shades of the main colors cause confusion and overlap.
Consequently, instead of being recognized as distinct colors, there comes a muddy or some other shade. So colorblind glasses work to avoid that overlapping filter those wavelengths and let the brain receive the only color wavelength so that there are no chances of overlapping.
Hence, you can see the view in brighter colors and distinct shades. So buying colorblind glasses can make you feel what you would miss otherwise in this precious life of yours. But before buying them, there are certain things to be taken into consideration which are discussed ahead.
Things you should know before buying colorblind glasses
The functionality of colorblind glasses is clear before you now. But never hurry to just go and buy them before making a few things clear in your mind.
The use and the help that colorblind glasses will do to you are limited in two ways.
- Firstly, they will not help those who have a complete absence of photoreceptors or those who are completely colorblind.
- Secondly, it will, in no way, correct the malfunction in the physiology of vision that is causing a color deficiency. They will just make it possible to see those colors while you are wearing them.
This means these glasses are just for temporary usage. But that still matters a lot to those who consider it a big concern to miss something this precious in life.
Apart from the fact that their usage is limited, they are really expensive. So before making your mind to buy them, you should be aware that it is a hundred dollars game. And you will spend all that money on just temporary usage.
No doubt that these glasses are made with long-lasting material and you might be able to keep them for quite a period of your life. But considering that they cost that much money, you should decide whether they are worth the money or not.
Moreover, you should be careful enough to know whether these glasses are going to work for you not. Get a complete examination for that and consult some experts to determine whether they are suitable for you or not.
Another important thing is that if you are having some other problems with your eyes like cataracts or some other disease, you must be very careful while using them or you should not use them at all. A wise thing to do is to consult your physician regarding their usage if you have any other eye problems too.
Benefits of colorblind glasses
The importance to see the world in its true colors can be understood only by those who are close to nature or those who cannot see every color as it exists. That doesn’t mean that the lives of color deficient people are not completely functional. Most of the colorblind people are living their lives just as it is without bothering much the need to see the missing colors.
But there are people who find aesthetics in colors of nature and want to revive from it to the full. For those people, these colorblind glasses are a blessing. Moreover, there are some other things which these glasses will help you in.
- Making the right choice of things while doing shopping (as you may end up buying some ostentatiously colored dresses or gifts for others).
- Helping you in the fields where you cannot go being color vision deficit (a lot of places may take you for a job where it is important to have color vision).
- Making you enjoy the true aesthetics of nature and everything around you.
- Helping you in painting or related hobbies or professions where it is important to give a true blend of colors.
Long story short, colorblind glasses are a luxury, not a necessity. And it is up to you how much value that luxury carries for you.
Concluding it all, everyone has their own preferences. For some not to be able to see a few shades do not matter much as they have to focus on some other things in life to which they give more importance.
For others, seeing nature and enjoying everything in the true aesthetic beauty that they hold is much more important than any other business. They tend to believe in the blessings of nature and avail of anything that will help them enjoy it.
Moreover, for some to be able to see some colors that they have never seen before is the most exciting thing. So to spend on something this precious for you is of course not a bad decision. Your life is a gift and so you should enjoy everything to its full essence.