Join us on September 6th: Colour Blind Awareness Day 2022

August 25, 2022

Colour blindness or Colour Vision Deficiency (CVD), is one of the world’s most common inherited
conditions, affecting an estimated 300+ million people worldwide. One in every 12 males and one in
every 200 females are impacted by it. To address and raise awareness of this issue, the “Tackling
Colour Blindness In Sport (TACBIS)” programme was created, supported by EU Erasmus+
Sport funding. The mission of the TACBIS partners is to make sports accessible to people that suffer
from Colour Vision Deficiency.

What is colour blindness?

We see colour through 3 types of cone cells in our eyes, which absorb red,
green or blue light. With colour blindness (colour vision deficiency, CVD) one type doesn’t operate
normally. Most types of colour blindness involve defects in red or green cones, meaning many colour
combinations can be confusing.

Colour blind people often become aware of their colour blindness during their younger years.
However, it is also common that some people may not realize they are colour blind simply because
they do not know that others see colour differently. It is also not uncommon for children to hide
their condition.

That is why Colour Blind Awareness Day takes place every year on September 6th. John Dalton was one of the first scientists to study the condition and it is celebrated on his birthday in honour of the strides he made in colour blindness research.

Why is it an issue in sport?

Almost 33 million people in Europe have some form of inherited CVD. For people with no deficiency it can be hard to imagine the difficulties this can cause but every day in sport we use signs, symbols, maps, visit websites and use smartphones. All of these activities can be more challenging when the difference between colours isn’t obvious.

Colour blindness is a particularly important issue in sports as colour is key to distinguishing between
players and athletes and in seeing kit and equipment. On a matchday, for example, CVD can affect
up to 6% of people, like players, coaches, fans, staff e.g. stewards, in a football stadium. Solutions
are usually simple and common sense such as using text, symbols, shapes and patterns e.g.
stewards.

What can you do?

• Help to raise awareness! Download the Social Media templates here. Pick the visuals in or
  closest to your club colour and download them, insert your club logo in the iris of the eye
  and publish them on your social media channels on September 6th, Colour Blind Awareness
  Day. We recommend using canva.com to insert your organisation’s logo into the visual.

• Spread the word. If you, or one of your players or (coaching) staff are colour blind, proudly
  share your story and experiences with others. You could end up becoming a role model for a
  young child who may be struggling to come to terms with his/her colour blindness. Sharing
  your story on social media or via word of mouth are two great ways to increase awareness
  of colour blindness and bring the community together. If you are a sports fan, call out clubs
  who don’t show sports in a way that makes it easy for you to follow the match and reach out
  to organisations such as Colour Blind Awareness or EFDN to get support and connect with
  others.
• Find here the complete toolkit to support Colour Blind Awareness Day 2022!
  
  We are looking forward to seeing your visuals online on September 6th! Thank you very much for your support!