Yes, a colorblind person can see black.
Understanding Color Blindness
Color blindness, more accurately termed color vision deficiency, doesn't mean seeing the world only in black, white, and grey. Instead, it involves difficulty distinguishing certain colors. The reference states that dichromats (a specific type of color blindness) "do not see only black, white and variations of that in grey", they still see a range of colors, just with a diminished ability to distinguish some from others.
How Color Vision Works
- Normal Vision: People with normal color vision (trichromats) have three types of cone cells in their eyes that are sensitive to red, green, and blue light. These cone cells allow us to see a full spectrum of colors.
- Color Vision Deficiency: In colorblind individuals, one or more of these cone cells are not functioning correctly. This leads to seeing colors differently from those with normal vision.
What About Black and White?
- Seeing Black: Black is the absence of light and is not a color, it's a visual perception of no reflected light. As the light perception in the eye and brain remains unchanged, colorblind individuals will still see the absence of reflected light as the color black.
- Seeing White: White is the combination of all light spectrums, and colorblind individuals will also see white.
Common Misconceptions
It's a common misconception that colorblind people see the world in only black and white, but this is not the case. Colorblindness affects the ability to distinguish between certain colors, not the ability to see the presence of light, its absence, or the full presence of light.
The Reference Insight:
The reference states: "They, being dichromats, actually see the world in color very much like what a ``color blind'' person can see." This emphasizes that those with color vision deficiency see colors but do not have the same resolution as people without color vision deficiencies.
Key Takeaway
Colorblind individuals can still perceive black, white, and a variety of other colors, despite having difficulty differentiating between certain colors.
