Colorblindness is incredibly common and is therefore bound to show up in your workplace at some point. Color blindness affects approximately 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women in the world. While you might take certain color-based organization systems like color-coding for granted, not everyone can correctly see those color-coding stickers that are often used enough for them to be helpful. To compensate, here are a few ways you can use labels, including colored adhesive tape, to keep your organization colorblindness-friendly.
Adhesive Label Tape
Instead of using labels that rely on your ability to see color clearly, consider using adhesive label tape and labeling items with words or abbreviations instead. These might take longer for the average person to sort through and read, but for those who are colorblind, it can help tell different items apart without having their color blindness be an issue.
Letters On Colored Stickers
If you've already purchased small colored dot stickers to use in your organization system, there's no need to throw them away because one person in your office is colorblind. Instead, make adjustments to your stickers by writing initials or abbreviations on the stickers when you place them. Alternatively, you can place stickers in different locations to indicate different categories. One category might have its sticker in the right corner, while the other might have it on the left. Even if you can't see color, you can still identify based on location.
Organize By Shape And Size
In addition to grouping items by their color-coded categories, see if you can break up your sorting system into categories that don't rely on color. For example, if you're organizing a cluttered desk of papers, try sorting by the size of the paper, the date of the document, and so on. Base your categories on elements unrelated to color, and people will be able to help sort whether they can see a color or not.
Colorful labels aren't the only method you can use to stay organized; things like adhesive label tape and alternative organizational systems can be helpful for those who can't see color well enough to sort based on color-coding. For more information on label systems that are colorblindness-friendly, contact Chromalabel today.
Update from April 2021
Chromalabel offers color coded stickers in a variety of shapes and sizes. You can label items by the size of the round dot sticker or by the shape of the sticker; rectangle, star, and round stickers discerning different items. This can easily solve your problem, and make your organizational system useful for everyone in the office!
