Color Vision

Is the Economy Missing Out by Excluding Colorblind Jobseekers?

Guest Post by Kristine <lizbeth_laila@yahoo.com>

 

For color blind individuals aware of their condition, it is quite a hindrance to not be able to see things normally. For example, you might find it difficult to locate a certain area in the map because you can’t distinguish between the green and red lines. Driving can also be difficult, particularly if you have to depend on traffic lights.

 

I stumbled onto a thread on this health blog that deals with the frustrations color blind individuals have had when looking for a job. It’s sad to see how so many skilled individuals miss out on great careers because of their condition, especially if their career path actually doesn’t require them to distinguish between colors.

 

Still, discussions like this serve the color blind community well by raising awareness about the condition. If this keeps up, economies and industries all over the world will have to acknowledge the fact that strict color vision restrictions for jobseekers can deprive the economy of the service of up to 1 in every 12 skilled individuals.

Firefighting and Color Blindness

by Zack Ybarra

Many color blind individuals suffer some form of frustrations in their careers – their condition causes employers to hesitate in hiring them for certain positions. Usually, there are good reasons behind these employers’ decisions – meat inspectors, for instance, have to be able to spot blemishes, jewelers have to recognize impurities, and bus drivers have to see the traffic lights. In addition to this, color blind individuals also find it difficult making their way through a career in the police force. But should color blind individuals also be barred from being firefighters?

I disagree. And apparently, so does Daniel Flueck, author of the Colblindor website. He recently wrote an article about one of his readers who expressed his frustrations over the difficulties he was having in pursuing a career in firefighting. In it, he tells us why, and offers advice for those of us who’re considering being one of our country’s bravest one day.

You can read Daniel’s words of wisdom here.

Quick insights: practical examples from those of us who are color blind

Marc Carver is a successful high school coach in Georgia who also happens to be color blind. In an brief aside within an interview about his accomplishments (in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution) he talks about some of the practical issues people with color blindness face every day.  This small example goes a long way in enlightening others to the small daily travails of the color blind.

Q. What is something that people are most surprised to learn about you?

A. I'm color blind. I've been color blind all my life. Sometimes the uniforms throw me off when they wear red or green. It's sometimes a problem when I drive with the traffic lights. I have to watch traffic patterns, but sometimes there is no traffic, so I have to guess.

Link: Q&A / MARC CARVER

Video: "Doctors say colour blind aren't disabled"

"Russia Today," an Russian-focused English-language news channel, broadcast a feature on color blindness today. The story centers mostly on how those with color blindness happen to see the world.  On the whole, the reporter does pretty well at dispelling common myths about color blindness.

By the way, I "failed" the Ishihara-style test (left) shown briefly during the piece. The reporter states that most people see a red triangle but, according to the reporter,

"...someone affected sees a green circle."

(Oh, it's green. Good to know :-)

What do you see? Please post a comment as to what you perceived.

Link: RussiaToday : Features : Doctors say colour blind aren't disabled.

"I just wanted to be a firefighter."

As channel 29 in Bakersfield, CA reported recently, it's tough to get into the Kern County firefighting academy. Ten percent of applicants are accepted into the ranks of the academy. One of the criteria: perfect color vision.

Liberty High student Chad Baldez had his heart set on becoming a firefighter.... until he found out he doesn't qualify because he's color blind. He says,"Well, I just wanted to be a firefighter. That's all I wanted to do- really never thought about doing anything else."

You have to see the video. The poor kid looks crushed.

Link to video: Kern County Fire Department holds seminars for those interested in joining their ranks