Perception of color vision deficiency and its impact on accessible digital design in higher education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20868/ardin.2026.15.5675Abstract
Color vision deficiency (CVD), commonly known as color blindness, affects approximately 8% of men and 0.5% of women worldwide. This condition is particularly relevant in disciplines such as animation, digital design, and video games. In these fields, color serves both aesthetic and narrative functions, guiding the viewer and conveying emotions. This study analyzed the level of knowledge and perception of CVD and color accessibility within the university community of the University of Design, Innovation and Technology (UDIT) in Madrid, Spain. A survey was conducted with 387 students involved in visual creation. The results indicate that a portion of the students show limited conceptual knowledge of CVD, as well as a reduced application of color accessibility criteria in their projects. Although some students reported having received prior training, persistent errors in basic concepts revealed that this training was incomplete. As a complementary measure, the self-reported prevalence of CVD in the sample was recorded, with 8% of male students and 1% of female students, showing a notable concentration in the Degree in Video Game Design and Development and Virtual Environments (40% of the total cases). In other programs, such as the Degree in Animation or degrees related to Audiovisual Design, the presence is lower. This distribution, observed descriptively, may point to possible differences between programs that require further investigation in future studies. These findings highlight the need to explicitly integrate color accessibility into academic training, in line with the European Accessibility Act (EAA), which came into force in 2025.
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