After perusing the internet one night, I found out that around 8% of the world’s male population is color blind. Naturally, after learning that statistic, I began to search for an OP student with color blindness. I found my friend James Bowe and decided to ask him a few questions about being color blind.

What is color blindness?

1. Color blindness is the inability to see colors, or certain colors, and there are certain people who can’t see any colors, but that is rare.

When did you find out you had color blindness?

1. I noticed for a while in art class, and in drawing in general. My parents and I just thought it was normal, but in 7th grade I took a test with an optometrist, and I failed the test.  

How do you know if you’re color blind?

1. You have to take a test. It is set up with a bunch of dots and a circle. If you can’t see a number or letter, it helps tell the doctor if you have color blindness.

What tests do you go through to see if you’re color blind?

1. Ishihara test

Do you have any relatives that are color blind, and if so, what type do they have?

1. Yes, I have an uncle who is color blind. He is blue-yellow color blind.

What type of color blindness do you have?

1. I have red-green(they look the same) and troubles with blue(like seeing shades of blue). If I have a green chalkboard and put red chalk on it, I can’t differentiate between the two. I see the same color for red and for green.

Is it possible to be colorblind and not know it?

1. Yeah, probably. I thought when I was younger that I was just seeing colors wrong occasionally, but once you get the test you see if you really are color blind.

Does it affect your everyday life?

1. Sometimes, not too often. Every once in while, once or twice a week there will be a problem. I had a bio lab the other day and couldn’t differentiate between blue and teal.

Tell a funny story about your colorblindness

1. In chemistry, I was tasked with writing down the colors during the flame test. I kept writing down orange and proceeded to get them all wrong. I had a partner, but he was also colorblind, and we were the only color blind kids in the class. Our original grade was much lower than before we told the teacher about our color blindness.

Tell a sad story about your colorblindness

1. In art class, we go through an entire week about learning colors, and then we have a test at the end of the week. The test was about identifying colors. I would have ended up getting a 50, but then told her I was color blind and got a 100.

Has being colorblind ever helped you?

1. No, not usually. In art class, though, I don’t have to take color tests. It usually doesn’t help me though.

Do you wish people would stop asking you ‘what color is this’?

1. It’s kind of annoying, but I don’t get it too often.

What is the best and worst types of colorblindness?

1. The best of all of them is red-green, it is the most common and doesn’t affect you too much. Blue yellow is pretty tough, and complete colorblindness is the hardest.