How do you describe colour to a blind person?

Question

How do you describe colour to a blind person?

Answer 1

Why would you want to?
They don't understand, and gain nothing from the experience.

Such cultural differences cannot be translated.

Answer 2

We have 5+1 senses where the plus one really does exist for some of us.
Now the blind have one missing and we only have four left.
Hearing is no good or is it? Some people hear the notes as colours but they have sight to refer one to the other.
With touch we can refer to perhaps Red as being Hot or Cold Blue with the sun's warmth Orange.
Taste might be useful for Yellow as being something sharp and Green tasting something fresh like a carrot.
This leaves us with smell and probably the most useful to the blind. We can smell lots of changes here such as, Warmth Damp, Musty, Acidic, Vanilla, Sweat, Perfume, etc.
So between this lot and with practise it can be done but there is another way a bit more complicated but more useful.
Having agreed with the blind person his personal translation of colour, you could go on to develop a code that will mean the same thing. Now you have just about got someone blind back to normal.
Colour is an illusion anyway and no two people see the same colour exactly. Some see different colours altogether.
The receptors in the eyes are different in number and use and we don't all have the same number or mix.

Answer 3

I am a dispensing optician, and I have always thought about this question!!
Scientifically, you could describe different colours of light by their different wavelength values, but that is a purely numerical solution and the patient will have no feel for the different colours.
You could also say that because red-light is close to the infra-red side of the electromagnetic spectrum, red and orange colours will be more associated with a warm feel - though again this hardly accounts for all the red coloured objects.
Colour perception really needs reference to actually explain it at the end of the day, so someone who has always been totally blind since birth couldn't have colours described to them without visual reference.
Good question though!

Answer 4

I'm giving you a star because this is a question that deserves respect. Not many people would think of this. Blind people sense things we cannot. I would describe red as the sun=hot orange=fruit, smell would be strong to them yellow=a lemon. another strong smell green=grass, feel and smell of cut grass blue-the ocean, the feel& sound of waves, smell the salt air lavender, purple= I would have them smell the lavender flower I grow lavender & it smells wonderful white= sheets hope that helps

Answer 5

You can't really it's very difficult, unless they have had knowledge of colour before they went blind!

Answer 6

watch the film 'mask' the one with cher in it.the boy has a friend who is blind and he does a few things to describe colour to his friend.

Answer 7

By touch and feeling. Blue is cold (ice, cold drink). Red is hot, Green is cool/refreshing (leaf). To the blind, touch is one of their most important senses next to hearing.

Answer 8

I guess it really doesnt matter since sensations and sounds are more important to them. But maybe relate certain objects to certain color

Answer 9

Perhaps in relation to sounds, happy cheerful sounds might remind you of a color, maybe yellow, sad sounds might make you think of black or deep blue... Try music.

Answer 10

well use taste orange is and orange