Colour Blind Awareness Are We Missing A Trick?

Colour Blind Awareness
Are We Missing A Trick?
Kathryn Albany-Ward
Managing Director, CAFE
Join the discussion using #totalaccess
• UEFA 2012 Poland/Ukraine
• Cumulative TV audience 1.9bn
• (source Columbia Media International)
• 116 million were colour blind
• Champions League Final 2014
• Global unique reach 380 million
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(source UEFA.com)
• 19.5 million were colour blind
‘Hello I am Color Blind’
Normal
colour
vision
Red
deficiency
Green
deficiency
Blue
deficiency
Problems arising in football for people with
colour blindness
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Poor kit colour combinations between teams and background
Colour of ball
Type of lighting – i.e. outdoor v artificial light
Club colour schemes/websites or websites for purchasing tickets
Venues - way-finding, colour of seating, match day programmes
TV coverage – long distance camera angles, inaccessible graphics
Main problem kit combinations
• Red v Black(including stripes/patterned kit)
- e.g. PSV Eindhoven (red & white) v Juventus (black & white)
- Roma (burgundy) v Dinamo Zagreb (black)
• Red v Green
- Ireland v Portugal and Georgia
- Green v Yellow
- depends upon shade of green - CSKA Moskva away
• White v Pale Blue
- Malmo v Real Madrid
• If jersey colours can’t be distinguished fans can ONLY tell teams apart by
shorts/sock colours
Red against black
Newcastle v Liverpool 2014/15 season
Red against green
Good kit colour combinations
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White v black
Red v yellow
Black v yellow
Blue v red
Blue v yellow
where red used it should not be a block colour for the entire kit – jerseys,
shorts and socks
Bright yellow is good but not dark yellow (which can appear the same colour
as the pitch)
Man City v Newcastle – black stripes facing
Blue v Yellow
Chelsea v Southampton
Kit clash against background surface
‘Disappearing’ goalkeepers
Colour of the ball
Spot the ball
Lighting can affect appearance of kit and ball
• Daylight - shade/full sun
• Artificial lighting v daylight
• Artificial – different lux levels/colours, inconsistent lighting levels
across the pitch
Other factors
Referee’s input
• Referees and team sock colours
• Where is the ref?
Sponsorship
• Logos (size) on football jerseys are distracting
• Advertising hoardings, especially moving ones, are distracting
- problem compounded by logos and ball colours which makes the
action much harder to follow than in the past
Club information/colour schemes
Fundamental rule NEVER convey information by colour alone
• Websites – what colour combinations do you use?
- many colour combinations can be inaccessible
• Online tickets sales – can colour blind fans easily buy tickets online?
Southampton example
• Information on tickets themselves – text colour combinations,
wayfinding
Map copyright TFL, simulation by Ian Hamilton
Internal wayfinding
• Directional signage/information printed on programmes/tickets
• Fire exit notices against background surface – high colour contrast i.e.
not green sign against a grey concrete surface
• Colour coded circulation routes
Signage and Space Accessibility - Examples of ColorADD in Events and Equipments
TV Graphics
What do colour blind people say?
The Player
Matt Holland
Retired Republic of Ireland/ Premiership Footballer
Commentator/pundit
Colour blind
The Supporter
• English Premier League
@ThommoAFC I refuse to watch Newcastle v Sunderland ‘cos I can’t tell who’s who
• Spanish La Liga – Atletico Madrid V FC Barcelona 12 Sept 2015
@bryn1970 I know I’m colour blind but this is ridiculous, I can’t tell who is who #fcb
#barca
• UEFA Champions League – Liverpool v Ludogorets 18 Sept 2014
@AndyJ0hns0n Just switched on the Liverpool game. I’m red/green colour blind.
Got no idea what’s going on!
Finally
• Colour blindness can affect participation at all levels from grass roots to
International competition
• Spectators are ALREADY switching off inaccessible TV coverage
• Simple issue to address
- training (coaches, managers, referees etc.)
- rules for accessible kit combinations in competitions
- colour contrast - Access For All Guide (UEFA/CAFE)