"Brown?... I thought it was green!"

[Shropshire Lass]

She could have a go at this test - www.archimedes-lab.org/colorblindnesstest.html#visione

My son has a problem with blue and yellow, not so much with the strong colours but with all the shades.

[Ermintrude46]

My maternal grandfather had red-green colour blindness and this was nearly the cause of his death.  During the depression in the 1930s he found temporary work as a railway labourer and the gang leader would signal the men about approaching trains by waving either a red or a green flag.  Granddad didn't mention he couldn't tell the difference between the two as he couldn't afford not to take the work.  He was caught out one day when he stepped the wrong way, right into the path of an oncoming train.  With no time to jump out of the way, he lay down between the tracks and the train went right over him.  Not surprisingly, he fainted, and was carried home on a ladder.  Apparently he was perfectly fine the next day, although my mother swears his hair turned white overnight!
Ermy

[c-side]

It's red/green in our family which of course also includes browns and other variations.

Some years ago my sister, who has reddish brown hair, was wearing brown trousers and a green sweater and sitting on a brown sofa when my colourblind nephew came into the room looked almost straight at her and asked 'has anybody seen Mum?  It wasn't till she turned around to face him that he realised she was there!

Christine

[Icicle]

I read some where that men, in general, do not have the same ability to see depth (or tone) of colour as women.

So, as has happened to me, you hold up two dresses and say to OH  "which one shall I wear, the aquamarine or the turquoise?" He just sees BLUE  and appears very confused.

It might also explain the inability to match shirt/suits/ties etc which most of the males in my family seem to have turned into an artform 

Paint charts are a nightmare too.

[Viktoria]

Thanks Shropshire lass , I remember those charts from school( almost never used), it`s worth a try
.
I have just done  it  and I am not"colour blind". I`ll try to get hubby to do it--- will resist ,kicking and screaming every inch of the way.I`ll email son for him to do it. Thanks again. Viktoria.

[liverbird09]

I've enjoyed reading all of your posts today.  
Thanks DudleyWinchurch for all the information. It has helped knowing the course it takes through the generations.
Viktoria, my husband is well used to being given the once over and sent back to change...when we go clothes shopping now, it is easier to buy the complete outfit.
Ermintrude, what a tale .... there are probably lots of jobs these days that would be no-go for the colour blind.

  I've been there Icicle!
 

[Sloe Gin]

I've never been able to understand why, when red/green colourblindness is so common, those are the colours used for stop and go signals.  Madness. 

[LizzieW]

But presumably colour blind people see lights and must know which light is lit, it doesn't really matter what colour they see for traffic lights does it, so long as they can see which one (or two) is lit

[Sloe Gin]

It's not always that straightforward.  I've been with a colourblind driver on toll motorways, and he could never see which lanes were open when approaching the toll gates.  Why not make it easier for people?