Bringing colours of inclusivity to education
For millions of children in India, colour blindness is a quiet struggle, and most of them are not even aware of it. Navneet Education, one of India’s largest schoolbook publishers, has taken an innovative step to make education inclusive for all children and its newly launched Colour Blindness Detection Books addresses an often-overlooked learning challenge — Colour Vision Deficiency (CVD).
The Colour Blindness Detection Books are not only early learning designed to teach students, it also helps detect colour blindness. The books subtly integrates Ishihara-style colour vision tests into illustrations, enabling teachers and parents to identify potential colour vision deficiencies in children during the foundational years of education.
“There are an estimated 10 million children in India with colour vision deficiency,” said Dr Malgi, a leading ophthalmologist associated with the project. “Most of them go undiagnosed for years because the condition doesn’t visibly disrupt learning. But in reality, it affects confidence, participation, and long-term academic performance.”
UNESCO’s education inclusivity statistics report that over 30% of learning difficulties in children go undiagnosed in the early years, often because on conditions like colour blindness; emphasising on the importance of early screening and support solutions to prevent such gaps to practice inclusive education.
“It’s rare to find a design solution that feels so seamless and necessary,” said Rakesh Menon, Chief Creative Officer, FCB Interface. “By building it into the first books children learn from, we can diagnose the problem early and provide the required support.”
In the early years of education, in subjects where colour is integral-math, science, geography, and art-colour-blind children often face confusion and embarrassment. Many are mislabelled as inattentive or slow learners when, in fact, they are unable to distinguish between specific colours. Early detection can help students receive the proper support through guidance and alternate learning strategies. This move marks a critical shift in how India addresses hidden learning barriers-it goes beyond textbooks, it is using design thinking, educational innovation, and empathy to support every learner. TNS
