User reported issue: Red Green colorblind (Deuteranopia), can't differentiate between beads

[oliver-phet]

While using the "Wave on a String" simulation with my Physics students, I had a student mention that he is Red/Green colorblind and could not differentiate between the colored beads on the string.

I did a quick search and could not find an option for changing bead color so wanted to check to see if I missed something or to request that, as the simulations are updated, attention be drawn to colorblind and other visual impairments.

Related issues:https://github.com/phetsims/wave-on-a-string/issues/67 https://github.com/phetsims/wave-on-a-string/issues/105

Assigning to @arouinfar for now.

[arouinfar]

Thanks for tagging the related issues @oliver-phet. The Colorblinding Chrome extension I've been using looks pretty good for Deuteranopia but is somewhat lacking for Protanopia.

Deuteranopia

Protanopia

We can definitely do better than this. Unfortunately, it looks like the code calls things redBead and limeBead which should probably be more generically named. The colors are easy enough to experiment with locally, though.

There is ongoing PhET-iO work and this sim is on the docket to be republished. We could easily incorporate a color change into that release.

[arouinfar]

Using phetColorScheme.RED_COLORBLIND for the red beads won't fix things. It looks worse for normal vision and isn't really any better for protanopia.

We would be better off using something like red/blue. Here's what it looks like with pure blue rgb( 0, 0, 255).

[arouinfar]

I'll review this with @kathy-phet when we resume PhET-iO design discussions.

[arouinfar]

Unassigning myself until work resumes on this sim.