It's very difficult to find products to help colorblind people to use colors correctly.
Color-names stickers are one of the most useful products that I found could have a big impact on colorblind people's life.
I remember in my childhood I constantly surprised my teachers and family with my amazing drawings 'pink river and orange grass'.
I used to go to school and think to myself I must've missed the day other kids were learning colors, that's why it’s so confusing for me.
My sister used to spent hours trying to teach me colors by showing me colorful markers and crayons, and repeating out loud “this is blue, this is orange”, but the problem was never solved and they thought back then that I have a learning difficulty. Another problem that I faced was seeing colors on the whiteboard as they all appeared to me as black, so I did struggle to learn a lot of the material simply because of the color-coding system in schools. There was no solution at that time.
Most colorblind people have similar experiences in their childhood, even if they have different types of color blindness. It's very important to understand the basic needs of children with color deficiency to prevent some of these problems by providing useful products to help children from an early age.
Labeling colors is one of the most common strategies that can help colorblind people at school or at work. It can help them never miss important information and fully understand the subject. For example, teachers can use labels for charts and graphs or using colored names stickers for colored pencils/markers for drawing.
If parents find colored pencils or crayons with color names on them like the picture below it can be a great help for colorblind children. Each time a colorblind child uses the wrong colors in his/her drawing and other children notice it, they feel embarrassed and frustrated. In a long term, it can lead to keeping their color blindness a secret.
Even if you find a colored pencil or crayons with color names on them, some 'color names' are not very clear to colorblind people e.g. "Burgundy" in the image above.
If your child is a red-green colorblind and dark red color looks like brown to him/her, it's not possible for your child to understand what color is burgundy.
It's a better solution to use color name stickers on a normal colored pencil, crayons, or watercolor that your child might have already. Instead of 'burgundy', choose names of colors that make more sense like 'dark red'.
You can also use a white sticker and write on it, but don't make it in big size, please.
I remember my mom wrote names of colors on my colored pencils, but it was very big that other students were able to notice them and they were asking me why I wrote color names on them. I didn't like to share that I can't see some colors.
I really suggest using some of the printed stickers to make it look more natural. These stickers are designed by a colorblind designer for colorblind users. You can find different sizes and shapes, same as the image below. Click Here
You can even use those stickers with short names of colors on them eg; YL for yellow, or PU for purple because it does not grab so much attention and as a colorblind person I would prefer those for school.
Below you can find some images of stickers that you can buy on the Redbubble website with other cool products.
*Read the description of each sticker to purchase the right size, eg "Purchase the Medium Size Sticker Only" or "Purchase the EXTRA LARGE Size Sticker Only" for big packages with 72 stickers.
Stickers are available in three border styles of Glossy, Matte, and Transparent. If as a parent you would like to learn more about colorblindness read this article: Advice for Parents.
Color names stickers are not just for children, so many colorblind artists, painters, and designers use these stickers to prevent mistakes in their works.
Are there currently any treatments for color-blindness?
There are no preventative treatments as it's genetic. However colored filters, spectacles, and contact lenses have been introduced that can alter someone's color perception. They might allow the wearer to see a few more colors or colors nearer to how a person with normal color vision would see them, but it doesn't really solve the issue. Color blindness affects so many aspects of our life. You can learn some tips & tricks at this online training course designed for colorblind people. Click on the links below:
A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE FOR PARENTS/CHILDREN k-12 Click Here
TIPS & TRICKS FOR TIPS & TRICKS +12 Click Here
COURSE FOR THE DESIGNERS & ARTISTS Click Here
Read More & Learn More
