Color blindness was an impaired ability to see or distinguish certain colors.
Yalosians were incapable of distinguishing red or orange. In 2371, Dr. Julian Bashir explained this to Kira Nerys when advising her on the species' needs. (DS9: "Improbable Cause")
Metaphorically, color blindness could refer to a person's skin color or race not being an influential factor in how they are treated or what they can accomplish.
In 2374, Captain Benjamin Sisko fell under the influence of visions from the Prophets and Pah-wraiths. During an illusory 1953, Douglas Pabst told Benny Russell to either burn his own story or stick it in a drawer for however long it would take for the Human race to become color blind. Pabst would not print Russell's story unless he made the negro captain Benjamin Sisko a white person. (DS9: "Far Beyond the Stars")
The FASA RPG book
The Orions established that Grey Orions were colorblind.
Director Hal Sutherland had a kind of color blindness that is often cited as contributing to various color issues in
Star Trek: The Animated Series, such as in "
The Slaver Weapon", which features the
pink-colored
craft Traitor's Claw, and in "
More Tribbles, More Troubles", in which the
tribbles are also pink. ("
Drawn to the Final Frontier - The Making of
Star Trek: The Animated Series",
TAS DVD) According to
D.C. Fontana, the pink coloration of the
Kzinti ship in "
The Slaver Weapon" was a result of Hal Sutherland being color blind, and thus unable to discern them as anything but shades of
gray.
[1] However, storyboard artist/character designer
Bob Kline laid the blame on color director
Irvin Kaplan. "
Pink equals Irv Kaplan," shared Kline... "
Irv was in charge of ink and paint, coloring the various characters and props (and he would do it himself in his office, he would sit down with a cel and paint it). He was also referred to by many people there as the purple and green guy. You'll see it in a lot of scenes, purple and green used together – that was one of his preferences. He made dragons red, the Kzintis' costumes pink. It was all Irv Kaplan's call. He wasn't listening to anyone else when he picked colors or anything." ("
Star Trek: The Official Guide to the Animated Series", p. 26)
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