Colour blindness.... Will it affect my driving and job prospects?

A senior ophthalmologist reading my blog, brought out the fact I had missed out writing on colour blindness.

I would use this opportunity to comment on that and also include information on job and educational prospects.

In India my clinical experience says that different "RTOs" apply arbitrary criterion for driving licenses: Be it a colour blind person, a simple myope or some one else. The lack of consistency may not be unique to India, European Union and the USA & Canada all have different guidelines applicable in different regions. (The difference being that, the laws are applied in a consistent manner!).

Bulgaria allows driving licenses to colour blinds, most countries in the EC do not. In the USA, some states have legislation that treats "a new or a professional" driver differently. Most states also have "restricted licenses" as well, allowing one to drive in specified conditions that include factors such scotopic or photopic (day light or otherwise) conditions.

In India, the pattern of governance and bureaucracy is far different from what one sees in more mature democracies. I don't intend to criticize "my country" since I am sure, better information, transparency and appropriate use of the right to information will address most of the unresolved issues over a period of time.

I recall, way back in 1985, fresh through a state Pre Medical Test, I was made to go through a "fitness test". Being a myopic, I expected to be asked to read the Snellen's chart to begin with. Instead Dr. Tandon, sipping tea leisurely, asked me to hand over my glasses to him. With one eye closed, the "veteran" looked through my concave glasses and instantly decided my fitness:

I was declared "not fit" to pursue medicine! No retinal evaluation, no best corrected visual acuity! No response to my pleading either!

How did I get across that hurdle is a different story. As an ophthalmologist, I continue to see such examples of human wisdom, where these "omniscient guardians" of Indian law decide some one's fate.

Most recent one was a guy who was not allowed to enter into "fisheries" at a renowned world class univeristy. As a colour blind, I wonder if he would have problems identifying the species of fishes! When last heard, he had moved court against the discrimination.

Access to education is a basic right. Reader may find the story of a medical student from All India Institute of Medical Sciences who was not allowed to take examinations following his visual loss due to Eales' disease until the NHRC came to his rescue. (See earlier post: "Success amidst adversities").

It is amazing, that in this era, where "equal opportunity employer" is a widely used tag, such things continue to happen! There are ways to tackle such issues - the legal ones. The right to information is an easier tool than moving the court! If you are not keen to go these ways, in India you tend to use "connections" or go and pay "bribe", the panacea for all!

The choice is yours.

Returning to the basic issue: Can colour blindness affect job prospects?

Using a disclaimer that this blog is not a comprehensive source of information, I would say, there are professions such as armed forces (specially aviation), railways, etc where an individual's ability to judge colours tends to be of paramount importance and being a colour blind would make him prone to errors.

There are however plenty of work places, I feel, where a blanket restriction is not needed. A student of fisheries may go on to study something that relates to the impact of toxic waste on aquatic ecosystem if not the morphology of colourful fishes! Would you not allow such a person to even study a subject of his choice? Same applies to the blind medical student from New Delhi, who still had a great potential to be a psychiatrist! But for that he needed to obtain his bachelor's degree first!

Simply underlining that a change is needed. Who can bring about those changes best? You, if you are the one facing obstacles!

Best wishes.

Manish