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HOW DOES COLOUR HELP?
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Some individuals with no apparent problems with their eyes, report various perceptual distortions when viewing certain patterns including regular rows of text (visual stress).
The severity of these distortions varies between individuals. In mild cases the effects are minimal while others suffer “eyestrain”, headaches, migraines or even nausea. In most cases there is a reduction in reading comfort and efficiency.
Olive Meares and Helen Irlen were the first to report that these distortions can often be reduced or even eliminated by changing the colour of the background to the text.
The colour required to minimise the distortions can be quite precise and varies from one person to the next. Therefore, it is vital that testing is carried out systematically by a person who is suitably qualified and trained.
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Adding a little colour
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Coloured Paper. Some people find that printing or photocopying onto coloured paper is beneficial. However, as the optimum colour can be quite precise, the success of this method is dependent on finding paper of the correct colour.
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Coloured Overlays are simply sheets of coloured plastic that are placed over the page. They are cheap and effective but are obviously unsuitable for use while writing or for looking in the distance, for example viewing a white board.
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Coloured Spectacles are perhaps the most effective way of introducing colour. However, the colour of the tint must be chosen carefully and the spectacles can be quite expensive.
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Coloured Contact Lenses. A less conspicuous way of introducing colour is by wearing coloured contact lenses. However, the choice of colour is again very important and this should only be undertaken by optometrists with a special interest in this area.
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Coloured Light. Another way of introduing colour is by illuminating the text with coloured light. Lamps are available which allow precise adjustment of the colour. However, unless these lamps are used in a dark room, other light sources in the room may “wash out” and change the colour of the light falling on the page,
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Coloured Computer Screen. If you use a computer, you may benefit from changing the colour of the screen background. This can be achieved quite simply under Windows or using a number of free utilities that can be downloaded.
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