Deborah TorresLots of people think that once you suffer from color blindness, you can’t see any colors at all aside from white, black, and shades of gray. However, they’re wrong. Monochromatic color blindness is a form of complete color blindness, which is a rare color vision deficiency subtype among the common ones like re and green color blindness. With this case, color blindness is not appropriate.
Color blindness starts when you do not have a normal human vision that could be a light change in color perception. It actually ends with completer color blindness under monochromacy.
If you’re suffering from monochromatic color blindness, you always perceive things in shades of gray only. Because of that, it makes it hard to accomplish daily tasks since colors are the central part of one’s life. For instance, those who suffer from monochromatic color blindness could mix up colors such as white and yellow, black and red, and blue and green.
Monochromacy or Monochromatic Color Blindness
Also known as total color blindness, monochromacy is due to absence of two or three pigmented retinal cones, which reducer vision to a single dimension. It also comes in 2 forms and these include the following:
- Cone Monochromacy – It’s a rare kind of total color blindness and accompanied by normal vision.
- Rod Monochromacy – It is a non-progressive and rare inability to distinguish any color, which results from absent or non-functioning retinal cones. Typically, rod monochromacy is associated with poor vision and light sensitivity.
Being monochromatic color blind makes daily life much challenging. Being able to tell the difference of various colors is quite impossible. For normal people, such colors can be different, but for those who suffer from this vision problem, it is easy to be confused with various colors.
Rod Monochromacy
It’s the condition with retina’s rod cells are functional and present, but all kinds of cones are either missing or non-functional. Even as more common type of total color blindness, this condition is thought to only happen in lesser people.
Achromatopsia is another term for rod monochromacy and it isn’t sex-linked. Both men and women are likely to suffer from this kind of illness. People who are monochromatic blind because of rod monochromacy also suffer from several vision impairments like the following symptoms:
- Abnormalities of iris functionality
- Involuntary eye movements or nystagmus
- Severe light sensitivity or hemeralopia
- Reduced visual acuity or ambyopia
- Unable to determine colors completely
Cone Monochromacy
While it’s less severe in comparison to other types of color blindness, visual acuity is still normal and it’s less common with some cases being identified. Monochromatic color blindness from cone monochromacy is basically a condition of having a single form of cone in one’s retina. Due to this, cone monochromacy may be categorized through the following:
- Red Cone Monochromacy
- Green Cone Monochromacy
- Blue Cone Monochromacy
You might have heard that dogs may only see white and black. It is a confident claim for most mammals. But, recently, there has evidence that some mammals have dichromatic color vision. It’s possible that some animals such as bulls, horses, dogs, and other mammals can be red and green color blind.
Blue Cone Monochromacy
This monochromatism is a rare form and due to rearrangement or loss of the genes encoding M- and L-cones. Due to this, only the blue color receptors and rods are transmitting color or brightness information. Typically, if you are suffering from S-cone monochromacy, you’re completely color blind. However, in twilight situations where S-cones and rods are working, color perception may be compared to dichromatic vision.
There are some reports about various kinds of blue-cone monochromacy and it isn’t easy to differentiate it from the rod monochromacy. There is no exact incidence that is available as of the moment. Scientists estimated that for a hundred thousand men, only one might suffer from blue cone monochromacy. Since green and red cones are encoded on sex chromosomes, the patterns for inheritance are same with red and green color blindness. In women, the occurrences are unknown.
Cerebral Achromatopsia
In this condition, optical examinations show functioning rods and cones. It isn’t understood in details yet, but it’s thought that the color receptors work properly only information isn’t reaching the brain and isn’t processed. Only some cases have been investigated. Compared to some kinds of monochromacy, cerebral achromatopsia isn’t inherited but basically an acquired color vision defect. It might be due to illness or trauma.
Design Tips for Monochromatic Color Blindness
It is not easy to design any living space in your house if you or your family member suffers from monochromatic color blindness. Although it is best to consult interior design experts, there are some tips you can consider and these include the following:
- Patterns
You can use various shapes and patterns to determine between similar colors. From art pieces to wallpaper, various patterns will help you discern your décor and furnishings from the surrounding pieces.
- Play with Tone and Texture
You would want various textures. However, there is a layer of necessity outside the aesthetics. A lot of people who suffer from monochromatic color blindness are a bit good in distinguishing between tones and textures. This is how they determine similar colors as well as extract meaning.
- Saturation and Brightness
If the levels of brightness and saturation are very similar, it may cause troubles. Look for some creative ways of using pale blue with royal navy blue.
- High Contrast
Increasing contrast may help you distinguish between same hues. If you are printing words to colored labels, make sure that the color contrast is high between the background and words.
If you suffer from monochromatic color blindness, it is hard to design or think of the possible themes for your interior décor. If you don’t want to make wrong choices, it is best to ask for help from the experts who have worked with people like you. Professional interior designers who have helped other color blind clients have some great ideas to make your home appealing for others.
