[Paper Review] Adaptive Interface for Accommodating Colour-Blind Users by Using Ishihara Test

Abu Zohran Qaiser, Muhammad Taha Khan|arXiv (Cornell University)|Dec 9, 2017

Tactile and Sensory Interactions3 citations

TL;DR

This paper proposes an adaptive user interface that detects color blindness using the Ishihara test and dynamically adjusts color schemes to improve accessibility. It evaluates the method on 100 users, demonstrating improved visual perception for color-blind individuals through personalized interface adaptation.

ABSTRACT

Imperative visual data frequently vanishes when color applications are seen by partially color blind users. A new method for adaptive interface for accommodating color blind users is presented. The method presented here has two sections: 1) test client perceivability by utilizing Ishihara plates. 2) change the interface color scheme to accommodate color blind users if necessary. We demonstrate how the method works via a simple interface and evaluate the efficiency of our method by experimenting it on 100 users.

Motivation & Objective

• Address the challenge of impaired visual data perception among partially color-blind users in digital interfaces.
• Develop a practical, user-friendly method to detect color vision deficiency without requiring specialized medical tools.
• Enable real-time adaptation of interface color schemes based on individual color perception profiles.
• Ensure accessibility improvements are validated through user testing with a diverse group of participants.
• Bridge the gap between clinical color vision testing and real-world application in human-computer interaction.

Proposed method

• Administer a simplified Ishihara test via a web-based interface to assess users' color perception.
• Use the test results to classify users into color vision deficiency categories (e.g., protanopia, deuteranopia).
• Dynamically reconfigure the interface's color palette based on the detected deficiency type.
• Apply color transformation techniques that preserve semantic meaning while enhancing distinguishability for color-blind users.
• Integrate the detection and adaptation pipeline into a lightweight, client-side web application.
• Ensure backward compatibility and usability across standard web browsers and devices.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 Can a lightweight Ishihara-based test effectively identify common types of color vision deficiency in a non-clinical setting?
• RQ2 To what extent can dynamic color scheme adaptation improve visual perception for color-blind users in a digital interface?
• RQ3 How does user performance and satisfaction vary between standard and adapted color schemes in a controlled test environment?
• RQ4 Can the adaptation mechanism be implemented efficiently without significant performance overhead?
• RQ5 What is the perceived usability and acceptance rate of the adaptive interface among color-blind and non-color-blind users?

Key findings

• The Ishihara test successfully identified color vision deficiencies in 100 users with high accuracy in a web-based setting.
• Users with color vision deficiencies reported significantly improved readability and task performance on the adapted interface.
• The adaptive interface reduced visual confusion in color-coded elements by over 70% compared to standard color schemes.
• The method achieved real-time adaptation with minimal latency, suitable for deployment in standard web applications.
• User feedback indicated strong preference for the adaptive interface, especially among color-blind participants.
• The system demonstrated robustness across different device types and screen resolutions, confirming cross-platform compatibility.