Colorblind Secrets (Psst — Zuckerberg Is Afflicted)

It never ceases to amaze me how unaware many colleagues are about a very common affliction: colorblindness. I have it. So does Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, according to a report in the New Yorker and others.

Here’s what you need to know.

We can see colors. Total inability to see color is very rare. What we do see isn’t the same as what you see. For instance, the color red is less vibrant for me. But, there are some things I’ll be able to see better than you, like certain camouflage patterns. Seeing the world in a different way can be an advantage.

Your color presentation is incomprehensible. This is especially so when it is full of charts with seven shades of pastel colored lines. All the lines are indistinguishable. My bank does similar with a pie chart of my investments: brown, green, red, beige, and black. It’s so confusing to look at that it’s meaningless. The consultant recommendations on what colors are best for presentations are probably wrong. Go with grayscale instead, unless you want to confuse us.

We are 8% of the male population. Color blindness mainly afflicts men. If you work with men then be aware that many colors may confuse.

Your red pen comments don’t stand out. To everyone else the red pen marks stand out like blood, but don’t expect us to see them. You could have used green or blue for the same effect.

Some of us are still disappointed that certain occupations are closed to us: airplane pilot, merchant marine captain, police officers, or train driver. These rules are changing slowly.  […. see more at the original article]

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