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Total Monochromacy (total)

Achromatopsia (Monochromacy)

By The Detect Color Blindness editorial team Last reviewed

Little or no colour vision, seeing mostly in shades.

What Achromatopsia (Monochromacy) means

Achromatopsia, or total colour blindness, means the cone system provides little or no colour information, the world is seen mostly in shades of grey. It is often accompanied by light sensitivity and reduced sharpness, and is far rarer than red-green deficiency.

What it can look like day to day

  • Colours are seen as light and dark shades
  • Bright light can be uncomfortable (photophobia)
  • Fine detail may be harder to resolve
  • Colour-based tasks need labels or patterns

How common is it?

Extremely rare (~1 in 30,000). Colour vision deficiency overall affects roughly 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women, see the full prevalence breakdown.

How to test for Achromatopsia (Monochromacy)

Start with the free online color blind test. For a diagnosis, an eye-care professional uses calibrated plates, an anomaloscope or an arrangement test. Want to see the difference? Try the colour blindness simulator.

Take the color blind test See it in the simulator

Other types of colour blindness

Deuteranomaly Reduced sensitivity to green light, the most common form. Read more → Deuteranopia Absent green cones, a stronger red-green deficiency. Read more → Protanomaly Reduced sensitivity to red light; reds look dimmer. Read more → Protanopia Absent red cones; a strong red-green deficiency. Read more → Tritanomaly Reduced sensitivity to blue light; rare. Read more → Tritanopia Absent blue cones; blue-yellow confusion. Rare. Read more →

Frequently asked questions

Is this result a diagnosis?
No. It's an educational screening result based on an online plate test, which can be affected by your screen and lighting. Only an eye-care professional can diagnose colour vision deficiency.
Can color blindness get worse over time?
Inherited colour blindness is stable and does not progress. If your colour vision changes noticeably over time, that can signal an eye or health condition and should be checked by a professional.
Can color blindness be cured?
Inherited colour blindness can't currently be cured. Special filter glasses help some people with red-green types by boosting contrast, and everyday tools and habits make colour tasks easier.

Keep exploring

What next?

Take the color blind test 14 quick plates · instant type & severity · no sign-up. Start the test → See how you see colour Simulate protan, deutan, tritan & more on any image. Open the simulator → Do colour blind glasses work? Honest comparison of EnChroma, Pilestone & ColorLite. Read the guide →