THE BACKDROP:

My name is Freya, and I am a Grade 10 student from Adani International School, Ahmedabad.

AIDING COLOURS is India’s first student-led initiative focused on early screening of colour blindness in school children, along with psychological support, career counselling, and classroom assistance.

This initiative began from a personal experience. When my younger brother was diagnosed with colour blindness in Grade 4, it finally explained years of confusion, mistakes, and being misunderstood in school and daily life.

That moment led me to a simple but important question:

How many children are going through the same struggle without even knowing it?

AIDING COLOURS is my effort to ensure that no child feels “less capable” for something they cannot control.

WHAT IS COLOUR BLINDNESS?

Colour vision deficiency (CVD), commonly known as colour blindness, is not rare.

1 in 12 boys and 1 in 200 girls are born with it. Yet in India, colour blindness remains almost entirely invisible and undiagnosed.

Why is early detection necessary?

Colour-blind children often struggle silently in school with colour-coded diagrams, maps, experiments, and daily activities. Without diagnosis, they may be misunderstood, lose confidence, or even face bullying.

Many students also unknowingly pursue careers where colour vision is mandatory, leading to rejection later in life.

Since there is no treatment for colour blindness, this initiative ensures early detection, awareness, guidance, and support for children, parents, and teachers.

Scroll down to understand the challenges faced by children with colour blindness.

Read the story below of Sohil to understand how important early detection is for colour blindness.

Let’s help more people like Sohil to detect colour blindness early and choose their dream careers.

ABOUT MY INITIATIVE:

This is a student-led initiative led by me, focused on the early detection and support of colour-blind children in schools. This campaign is done in partnership with Dr Shivani Bhatt Charitable Foundation (SBCF).

Pic: Me during one of the colour blindness screenings at school.

So far, through AIDING COLOURS, we have screened over 10,600 students across 31 schools in 4 districts of Gujarat, and identified 131 colour-blind children. Each of these children, along with their families, has received psychological and career counselling, as well as colour-blind-friendly educational materials to support their learning.

Now, I’m working towards the next phase of this journey, and I need your support. We are raising INR 2,50,000 to:

• Screen 10,000 more students from Grades 1 to 12.

• Conduct expert-led psychological and career counselling sessions for students, parents, and teachers.

• Develop and distribute colour-blind-friendly educational materials.

Our work focuses on three key areas:

• Screening: Identifying colour blindness in schools using Ishihara charts, followed by referrals to ophthalmologists

• Workshops & Counselling: Providing emotional support and helping students and families make informed career choices

• Classroom Support: Creating and distributing colour-blind-friendly learning materials and stationery

My goal is to expand this initiative across Gujarat and eventually build a scalable model that can be implemented at the state and national level.

Through AIDING COLOURS, I want every colour-blind child to feel understood, supported, and confident, never limited by something they cannot control.

ABOUT THE NGO:

Dr Shivani Bhatt Charitable Foundation (SBCF), established on 30th January 2020, is a non-profit organisation dedicated to improving healthcare access, promoting education, and supporting underserved communities.

Led by renowned surgeon Dr Hemant Bhatt, the foundation works to uplift the health of the underprivileged, promote education among deserving students, and support differently-abled children through nutritional and educational initiatives.

It also focuses on girls’ health, menstrual hygiene awareness, anaemia detection and prevention, eye check-ups, free distribution of spectacles, and colour blindness screening and interventions.

In addition, SBCF runs the Shivani Mobile School for underprivileged children and provides nutritional support to pregnant women from underserved communities.

The foundation conducts health awareness programs, screening camps, scholarships, and teacher training initiatives. It also supports Indian medical aspirants by providing free guidance on observerships in the USA.

Through its initiatives, SBCF aims to build a more inclusive, informed, and empowered society.

Support AIDING COLOURS and help ensure that no child is misunderstood for something they cannot control. With the right support, every child can learn with confidence and dignity.