The Dr Richard Henry is an ophthalmologist by profession and color blind. These are two good reasons to be delighted with the arrival on the market of lenses which greatly increase the contrast between the color signals. Called Kolorblind, they help reduce the symptoms of color blindness, this hereditary anomaly that affects 8% of men and 2% of women. This doctor, who worked in Montigny-lès-Metz, tested them on Tuesday. And approved. He has already ordered his mount. “I find that fantastic. It doesn’t make me see the colors. On the other hand, I manage to differentiate the tones in a much finer way. This allowed me for the first time to read an IGN map. The red route appears orange to me, but I distinguish it from the others, which I could not do before ”, testifies this eyecare professional.
He passed his test on the famous Ishihara color table, used by professionals to detect color deficiencies. And miraculously, the figures until then imperceptible to the color blind appeared to him. “It’s gratifying: I’ve had it read all my professional life”, laughs the ophthalmologist. Can’t wait for autumn and its walks in the forest, which until then had been very bland for him: “It’s really revolutionary. This portends a great improvement in the daily life of color blind people.
–
“An emotional shock”
The Metz optician Mathieu Moise also speaks of a major breakthrough: “The test causes an enormous emotional shock to some. “This professional is the first in France to offer this innovation in its twelve stores in eastern France, including nine in Lorraine (three in Metz and the others in Marly, Freyming, Thionville, Jarny, Jœuf and Montigny):” All our teams are trained. “A privilege that he sums up to” a story of men. The optician has established a relationship of trust with Koptical, the small French company manufacturing ophthalmic lenses at the origin of this invention. “We share the same vision of optics and I was very interested in their project. »Interest now rewarded. The manufacturer has reserved the first for it.
–
From 249 to 499 €
Of the process, patented, he just knows that it is “a sum of filters and very specific colors. »It is only effective for two of the three types of color blindness: protanopes (inability to see the color red which leads to confusion between red, blue and green) and deuteranopes (inability to see the color green which results in confusion between red and green and certain shades of gray, purple and blue). Either the two most widespread. Comfort that costs € 249 for a frame not suitable for sight, € 299 for a frame with far vision and € 499 for a frame with progressive lenses. Discussions have been initiated with Social Security for reimbursement.
Only downside, the glasses are necessarily red or orange. A stigmatizing shade, not easy to assume. “Aesthetically, it’s not ideal. I will not wear them all the time, ”admits Richard Henry. For the time being, this is the price to pay to give a little color to his daily life as a color blind.
–
