I believe the prevalence of color blindness is significantly higher than
anecdotally known, meaning I'll bet (the ubiquitous) you have friends
with it that you don't realize have it. Meandering a bit on the topic,
horizontal traffic lights present very real difficulties for people
insensitive to red/green color differences. It's much easier for them
with vertical traffic lights because it's easy enough to remember that
the red one is at the top....

From: Robert T Wyatt <[log in to unmask]>


Virginia R Hetrick PhD wrote:
> Yup, it is a problem.  Tonight on the Channel 7 news in Old Angeles,
> it even came up.  It turns out the local Metro which, amongst other
> things runs the metro trains, is preparing to build eight more lines
> and is seriously worried about running out of color names.  The
> reporter mentioned colorblindness as one of the concerns because she
> was concerned about patrons who couldn't distinguish among red, pink,
> and orange.  I think they are mainly thinking that only one line at
> present is not named for a color they have to stick with colors for
> naming the lines.  (It's the line that runs along Exposition Boulevard
> from approximately the Coliseum -- actually about 7th & Figeroa -- to
> Santa Monica, which is a relic of the Olympics the first time they
> were held in LA.)
>
> What I think they are forgetting is that the rules to accommodate
> disabled folks these days are way tougher than they were when the
> Blue, Purple, and Red Lines were built 20 years ago or so.
>
> I'm just personally hoping that they don't wind up like NYC or
> Boston.  I find the trains in both cities confusing.  No issues with
> DC or Atlanta. Just my thoughts.
>
> I did try to download the 3.7 MB document that is the NASA report, but
> the server couldn't be reached.  I'll try tomorrow.
>
> virginia hetrick