I’m colorblind.
It’s not a big deal. It’s more frustrating than anything. And to be clear, it’s more like I’m color-deficient. I can see colors, but I don’t see them with the correct balance. I’m a “strong deutan,” which means…
Deutans are people with deuteranomaly, a type of red-green color blindness in which the green cone doesn’t detect enough green but is too sensitive to yellows, oranges, and reds.
As a result, greens, yellows, oranges, reds, and browns may appear similar, especially in low light. It can also be difficult to tell the difference between blues and purples, or pinks and grays. (Via Enchroma.com)
I have taken this test a dozen times–mostly because it’s humorous for my students to watch me stumble my way through these color plates–and I’ve scored the same every time.
Now, I hope I don’t sound like a whiner, but I have mentioned this in a few posts and on the podcast a few times, and because of that, I was offered a chance at reviewing some glasses that have been designed to correct this issue.
O2Amp Oxy-Iso Glasses
Introducing the 02Amp Oxy-Iso glasses!
To test these glasses, I conducted two field tests: one in my classroom at school and one outside at my town carnival. Both tests were received humorously by those who witnessed me. That said, I was seriously impressed.
In my classroom, under fluorescent lights, it took about thirty minutes for my eyes/mind to adjust to the color shift provided by the glasses. After that, I truly felt like what I was better than my normal vision. My results in the second test were the same, though my adjustment time felt a bit shorter with this test.
(Now, eventually, if you keep scrolling, you’re going to see a picture of me in these glasses. I’ve been told that my eyes can be a bit hypnotizing, so if you’re not prepared to have subliminal messages planted within your mind, you’d better be careful.)
Either way, in both tests, my vision improved. The glasses helped to balance the colors I saw, reduced the harshness of the light (both natural and artificial), and somehow brightened what I saw. I will be honest: I don’t understand the science here, but I do know that these glasses improved my vision. I retook my colorblindness test and I could “see” about twice as many of the numbers as before. I didn’t get a perfect score still, but anecdotally, I was able to correct identify the vast majority of numbers on the test, which was enough evidence for me.
And to be honest, I think I may have just discovered my new pair of sunglasses. I don’t know what the official rating on these lenses is with regard to the sun, but they did the trick for me. My second field test was a very sunny day, and I have very light eyes, which means that I squint a ton when outside. With the Oxy-Iso glasses on, I was able to see perfectly without squinting, without the usual frustration of headaches that I am prone to get when I go outside without sunglasses.
If you’re colorblind designer who’s struggled a lot with getting things “just so,” the Oxy-Iso glasses might be something to consider. For a bit more info from 02Amp, here’s a TEDx talk given by their co-founder:
[Video via YouTube]
To find out more about the Oxy-Iso glasses from 02Amp, you can visit their website.
Two pair of 02AMP Oxy-Iso glasses were sent to me in exchange for an honest review.
[Featured imaged compiled from images via Wikipedia and O2Amp’s website.]
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