There are roughly 300 million people globally who live with color vision deficiency, more commonly known as color blindness. There are a few types of color vision deficiency, each of which affects your ability to see colors differently. Because of this, there are also a variety of tests that can be used to identify color vision deficiency. One of which is known as the Ishihara test.
What Is the Ishihara Test?
The Ishihara test is the most well-known color blindness test available today. It was created by Dr. Shinobu Ishihara and was first introduced in 1917. This test consists of plates with colored dots.
Each has a number or sign that can only be identified by a person who is not colorblind. However, there are sometimes hidden digit designs that will only be visible to colorblind people but not those with perfect color vision.
Before the Test
As you review the plates in this test you’ll want to do so without any glasses that may effect your vision due to tinting. You should also check that your screen is at full brightness.
Note: This is not intended for clinical diagnosis, nor is it medical advice. A complete diagnosis cannot be received from an online test alone. Please consult with your eye care professional for additional information on color vision deficiency and for clinical testing.
Color Vision Deficiency Test
View each plate and identify the number within it. Hover over the image to reveal the number in the plate. On mobile, tap the plate to reveal the number.
Types of Color Vision Deficiency
There are four main types of color blindness: deutan, protan, tritan, and achromatopsia.
Protan Color Blindness
Protan color blindness affects the way greens, yellows, oranges, reds, and browns appear. They will appear to be similar colors. Purple may also look closer to blue and pink may look closer to gray.
Deutan Color Blindness
Deutan color blindness affects the way green, yellow, blue, and purple appear. Green will often appear more pale or white than its actual shade.
Tritan Color Blindness
Tritan color blindness is the main color blindness type that occurs later in life due to aging or medical conditions. This type of color vision deficiency affects the way blue and yellow appear.
Achromatopsia Color Blindness
Achromatopsia and monochromacy result in the complete loss of ability to perceive color. However, not all people experience total “no color” vision.
Concerned About Your Vision?
If you have noticed signs that you or your child may have color vision deficiency, contact us to schedule an exam. We can provide an in-person clinical test conducted by our team of eye care experts.
While there is no cure for color blindness, specialized glasses and contact lenses can be used to adjust your vision to see colors more vibrantly.