App tests colour blindness

The standard testing method for the diagnosis of colour blindness requires a trip to the doctor’s office. But, thanks to the Colour Blindness Test app by EnChroma, users can take the test in their home on their smatphone or tablet.

Did you know that eight percent of men and one percent of women have red-green colour blindness? Approximately 10 million Americans and 284 million people worldwide have difficulty distinguishing red and green colours but many don’t realize they are colour blind. In addition, many children with colour blindness are frequently misdiagnosed with learning disabilities until they are an adult. Not being able to distinguish between colours makes everyday tasks such as cooking, driving, dressing and shopping a challenge. EnChroma has release of a free Colour Blindness Test for smartphones and tablets. Adults and children can take this test online at enchroma.com/test or by downloading the FREE app by searching for ‚”enchroma‚” in their mobile device app store.

‚”In the diagnosis of poor colour vision, the standard testing method requires a trip to the doctor’s office. This is the first time that a computer-based test is freely available that can accurately identify the type and extent of someone’s colour vision deficiency,‚” says Don McPherson, PhD, vice-president, products, at EnChroma. ‚”Thanks to a sponsorship by the National Institute of Health, I was able to create this app as a part of my National Eye Institute research project. Not only is it scientifically backed, it’s free to take and is easily available at your fingertips.‚”

‚”More than 1,000 people have already tested their vision since we posted our free test online last week,‚” says Andrew Schmeder, vice-president, technology, at Enchroma. ‚”These early testers have been instrumental in adding to our understanding of the prevalence and severity of colour blindness in the population.‚”

How It Works:

The EnChroma test is based on a special kind of image called a pseudo-isochromatic plate. The plate has a random pattern of dots with varying size and brightness, to camouflage the appearance of a simple geometric shape in the image, which is a circle, a square or a diamond. Because of the camouflage, the color of the dots is the only visual cue available to see the shape.

When the test starts, the hidden shapes are very easy to see because there is a large difference between the foreground and background colours. As the test proceeds the plates get more challenging.

At the conclusion of the test, the app provides the user with a diagnosis of their colour vision including the type and extent of the deficiency, if any. This information can then be used to select the appropriate EnChroma eyewear if the user is interested in a solution that will help them have better colour vision.

To learn more about the various EnChroma advanced optical solutions and how you can have Better Color Vision visit www.EnChroma.com.

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