(WSVN) - Imagine looking at the color red and seeing it as green. Functioning in a world of color can be a real challenge for people who are color blind, but as 7’s Kevin Ozebek shows us in tonight’s 7 Spotlight, one group is working to help bring awareness and change.
Woman: “Are you in shock?”
Isaac Catone: “I’m very in shock!”
This is a moment that Isaac Catone will never forget.
Isaac Catone: “I did not know that that was orange.”
He’s seeing color correctly for the very first time.
Isaac Catone: “I think it was incredible. It was amazing. It was — I’ve never been put in a situation where I can actually experience every color.”
Isaac is one of thousands of people in South Florida who have what’s called CVD or color vision deficiency. One in 12 men and one in 200 women are born with it.
Isaac Catone: “It’s a huge struggle.”
But thanks to the efforts of a nonprofit group called Eye See Color Project, there is hope that CVD will be caught at a young age.
Jared Postal, Eye See Color Project: “We want to provide this help for the young students in schools and try to make sure that they’re on an even playing field and in the best position to succeed.”
Jared and Mindy Postal test people for color blindness. Today they’re working with a special needs group at the Las Olas Chabad in Fort Lauderdale.
Cameron: “I see red, pink and blue and green.”
The test shows different colored numbers on a variety of colored backgrounds.
Jared: “Whatever number you see, you’re going to click the circle.”
If the number blends in and you can’t see it, you may have CVD.
Jared: “We’ve done community events, but our main focus has really been targeting these children and schools.”
Vision testing is required in Florida schools, but in many districts, color vision testing is not.
Jared: “Right now we’ve been in communication with the Broward as well as Palm Beach school districts in an effort to begin a piloting program where we would go in and screen the children at different — the kindergarten, first grade level for potential colorblindness.”
One of the most common colors people with CVD struggle with is red. For instance, my red shirt can look dark gray or orange to those with CVD. Now, think about how difficult that could be for kids in school.
Jared: “Math is the one probably the most where bar graphs, line graphs, color in the classroom is used very, very often.”
There’s no cure for CVD, but Eye See Color Project is working on resource guides for parents and teachers to find ways to help.
Mindy Postal: “To be able to raise awareness for the teachers and the parents and give them tips, because there are quite a few things that teachers can do that are very easy.”
There are also special glasses that color correct, but they cost $200 to $400 a pair, so the group is raising money to buy the glasses for classrooms and for individuals like Isaac.
Jared: “So we have them for you today, both an indoor and an outdoor pair.”
Jared surprised Isaac with the glasses while he was at work at the Museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale.
Issac: “This is so cool!”
Now, his days here will be more vibrant, inside…
Issac: “I can literally see every color. That’s green, blue.”
And out.
Issac: “The trees, the sky, everything, like, it is so green. Very, very green, and the buses are very, very yellow.”
It’s the kind of colorful experience they hope everyone will one day have.
Kevin Ozebek, 7News.
Eye See Color project will do its first color vision testing with Westchester Elementary in Coral Springs next month.
If you’d like to learn more about CVD, click here.
If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.