Hear “The Science of Color Vision” lecture Sept. 9, and get screened for colorblindness Sept. 25 and be entered to win a pair of color correcting glasses.People with colorblindness, a reduced ability to distinguish between colors, see just 10 percent of the hues that those with full color vision see. Colorblindness affects one in 12 men — about 8 percent — and one in 200 women, with more than 13 million people in the United States and 350 million people worldwide affected.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts wants to offer anyone a chance to see in full color.
AEIVA and UAB Arts in Medicine are collaborating to educate visitors on and test for color vision deficiency during September, which is Color Blindness Awareness Month. This community health initiative can help people of all ages see the world more clearly.
People with colorblindness usually have difficulty distinguishing between certain colors such as yellow and orange, green and brown, pink and gray, or blue and purple. These confusions are typical of what is called red-green colorblindness.
At 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 9, hear “The Science of Color Vision” lecture from Associate Professor Christianne Strang, Ph.D., in the UAB College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology.
From 3-6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, students from UAB’s School of Optometry will offer free color vision deficiency screenings at AEIVA. The drop-in screening is open to anyone, and these quick, non-invasive tests can uncover color vision issues that often go undetected but impact learning, work and daily life.
During its programming this month, AEIVA will have special glasses available to try that allow people with red-green colorblindness to see an expanded range of colors more vibrantly, clearly and distinctly. Participants will be entered into a giveaway to receive their own pair of color correcting glasses.
Both events are free and open to the public. AEIVA is located at 1221 10th Ave. South. For more information about AEIVA, visit uab.edu/aeiva.