The Color Vision Deficiency Simulator tool is a color mode implementation to simulate how a map, layout, presentation, or report appears to someone who has a color vision deficiency, sometimes referred to as color blindness. With a color vision deficiency, not all of the cones are present and able to perceive color. Full color vision is when all three types of cone cells are present and perceive color. While there are many types and levels of color vision deficiency, the color vision simulator modes focus on four primary conditions.
The following video demonstrates the benefits of the Color Vision Deficiency Simulator tool and how to use it.
The following are the color simulation modes:
| Color vision simulation mode | Description |
|---|---|
Protanopia | Color blindness to red, in which the red cones of the eye are absent, leaving only the cones that absorb blue and green light functional. In this mode, it is difficult to distinguish hues of green, red, and yellow from one another. |
Deuteranopia | Color blindness to green, in which the green cones of the eye are absent, leaving only the cones that absorb blue and red light functional. In this mode, it is difficult to distinguish hues of green, red, and yellow from one another. |
Tritanopia | Color blindness to blue, in which the blue cones of the eye are absent, leaving only the cones that absorb red and green light functional. In this mode, it is more difficult to distinguish hues of green, red, orange, purple, and blue from one another. |
Achromatopsia | Total absence of color vision, leaving only monochromatic gray hues functional. In this mode, it is more difficult to distinguish hues of any shade from one another. |
You can use the Color Vision Deficiency Simulator tool in any map or scene, layout, presentation, or report. Only the content of the view shows color simulation. The user interface of the application does not change.
Follow these steps to use color simulation:
- Ensure that a map, scene, layout, presentation, or report view is active.
- On the View tab in the Accessibility group, click the Color Vision Simulator drop-down list
. - Select Protanopia
, Deuteranopia 
, Tritanopia 
, or Achromatopsia 
. The simulation is applied to the contents of the view and Color Vision Deficiency Simulator appears at the top of the map, layout, presentation, or report view to indicate that you are currently in an active color vision state.
- Optionally, click the Color Vision Simulator drop-down list again to change simulation modes or use the view's context menu. For layout, presentation, and report views, right-click off the page or in empty space to open the Color Vision Simulator context menu item.
- To exit the color vision simulation mode, click the Exit the Color Vision Deficiency Simulator button
at the upper right of the map, layout, presentation, or report view in the same banner where Color Vision Deficiency Simulator appears. Alternatively, click the Color Vision Simulation button on the View tab to turn the mode on or off.
Color vision deficiency simulation is included when using Capture To Clipboard from a map, layout, or presentation, but not from reports, since they represent multiple pages. An applied color simulation mode is also not included when exporting the map, layout, report, or presentation to a file, exporting to an animation video, or when sharing to a web map or a web scene. A sharing warning appears indicating that the effect will not be visualized on the web.
Note:
The Color Vision Deficiency Simulator tool is disabled for anaglyph stereo viewing because they are not compatible together.