Color Blindness & Inclusive Design
Design colors that work for people with color vision deficiency
Types of Color Vision Deficiency
- Protanopia (Red Blindness)
- ~1% of males. Red and green appear as shades of yellow/brown. Affects red-green discrimination.
- Deuteranopia (Green Blindness)
- ~1% of males. Green and red look similar. Most common color blindness.
- Tritanopia (Blue-Yellow Blindness)
- ~0.001% of population. Blue and yellow appear shifted. Rare.
Design Principles
- Never use color alone to convey meaning
- Provide sufficient contrast (WCAG AA/AAA)
- Test with color blindness simulators
- Use luminance (lightness) as primary cue
- Pair colors with patterns or icons when critical
Testing with Tonal Field
Use Tonal Field's built-in color blindness simulator to preview how your palette looks to people with protanopia, deuteranopia, or tritanopia before shipping.