Colour plays a huge part in daily life, especially when it comes to learning. For people with typical vision, colour is rarely an issue, but for people with vision impairment (VI) it’s a far greater challenge.
They often face challenges in identifying colours, making it tough to read text, as well as identifying safety cues. But that doesn’t mean they can’t see colour at all. Some colours can be easier to see than others, depending on the type of impairment they have, as well as other factors.
How is colour impacted by visual impairment?
A visual impairment can hinder a person’s ability to see colours in various ways. For some, it may be being able to see and understand colours as different shades or hues. Or in other cases, they could be completely blind to colour or sight.
Large parts of this come down to the type of VI a person has. For example, people with sight loss may be able to see and read black text on a white or yellow background because of the contrast.
Whereas, for those who are colour-blind (Colour Vision Deficiency – CVD) it will depend on the specific type of condition they have, which we’ll go into more detail below.
Colour blindness
This is where a person is unable to see specific colours due to the cone cells in their eyes. What could look red to someone with normal vision may appear as green or brown to someone with colour blindness. This can make it difficult for them to differentiate between colours, especially where the colours blend together.
The main types of colour blindness are:
- Red-green colour blindness – where people are unable to perceive the difference between red and green. This is the most common type of colour blindness.
- Blue-yellow colour blindness – Less common, where some people can be unable to tell the difference between colours with blue or yellow, such as confusing shades of blue with shades of green, or shades of yellow with shades of pink.
- In even rarer cases, people may not be able to see colours at all (Monochromatic).
CVI
Cerebral Vision Impairment (CVI) is a complex condition caused by damage to the brain due to a medical condition or injury. It can also be caused by developmental differences, such as neurodivergence.
This condition affects people differently but can affect visual fields and perception, which can make it difficult to recognise faces, numbers, letters, shapes, patterns, and colours.
People with CVI may have unique preferences for colours. They may choose to focus on bright, high-contrast colours that stand out to them, or they may have difficulty interpreting certain colours altogether.
At InFocus, we run a CVI Range Programme to help students with CVI explore and identify colours in various forms. This aims to enhance their visual perception and improve their quality of life through the use of colour.
Low Vision
This is where a person has partial sight, making it difficult to see colours clearly or being able to read text.
There are four main types of low vision which include:
- Central vision loss – unable to see things (including colours) in the centre of your vision
- Peripheral vision loss – unable to see things (including colours) on the sides of your vision
- Blurry or hazy vision – colours may appear fuzzy or indistinct
- Night vision loss – colours may be harder to distinguish in low light conditions
Even two people with the exact same type of VI may see colours differently based on their perception and experience. This can make it challenging to determine which colours are best for people with VI.
What colours are good for VI?
There is no one specific colour for people with VI, rather it’s about finding the right combination of colours for text and screen.
High contrast colours are often recommended for individuals with VI. These are colours that are opposites on the colour wheel, which when combined can make it easier to see and read.
Some high colour contrast colour combinations can include:
- White text on black background
- Black text on yellow background
- Yellow text on black background
- Blue text on yellow background
Some combinations will work better for some people more than others, so it’s important to find one that works best.
What colours are bad for VI?
If two colours are of the same hue, saturation or contrast level, they may be harder to distinguish for people with VI.
Low contrast colours are how we describe two colours that are similar or difficult to tell apart.
Some low contrast combinations can include:
- Light grey text on pale blue background
- White text on yellow background
- Light green text on grey background
What impacts how people with VI see colour?
There are a number of factors that impact how people with VI see colour, such as:
- Type of VI: As mentioned, different types of VI can affect how colours are perceived. Someone with colour blindness may struggle to identify colours. Whereas someone with low vision may have difficulty seeing subtle colour contrasts, which means specific provisions need to be made.
- Lighting: The lighting in a room or environment can also influence how people with VI see colours. Bright lighting may make it easier to see certain colours, while it could be more challenging with dim lighting.
- Contrast: The contrast between different colours can affect how they are perceived by someone with VI. High-contrast colour combinations, such as black and white, may be easier to see than low-contrast combinations like yellow and orange.
How does colour affect learning with VI?
Students may struggle to see colours clearly, which can impact their ability to learn and retain information. Using appropriate colour combinations can help make educational materials more accessible for students with VI.
For example, if students were to look at a coloured bar chart (red, green, blue, yellow), those with red-green colour blindness would struggle to identify the red and green bars. When prompted with a question about data of the red and green bars, they may not know which bars are being referred to.
Let’s look at another situation, where students are using coloured blocks. If one student were to ask a student with CDV to pass them a red block, they may feel frustrated and embarrassed if they are unable to identify the colour.
If using a computer or tablet, there are accessibility settings that can adjust the colours on the screen to make it easier for students with VI to see. This can include changing the background colour and colour schemes to a specific colour contrast that works best.
Learn more about the services we offer to young people with vision impairment. We also have a podcast episode sharing expert insight on supporting vision impairment in specialist education settings.
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