son diagnosed as colour blind and worried about effect on future career

Dunroamin

happy35 wrote: »

thanks, I wanted him to stay on at school it is him that wants to leave and start an advanced apprenticeship.

I think his plans are to get an NVQ level 3 and then go on to HNC at some stage.

I have contacted the Local College who do not see it as a problem for Engineering but am unsure how an employer would see it.

I still cant get my head around the fact that he can tell red from green, blue from yellow and can tell if it is dark green, bright green etc and still be colour blind. I honestly dont think he sees things as sludge, his electronics teacher also cant understand this as he has completed very technical circuits with tiny components and used the correct colours without any help.

I have tried the test at home with him, the one with the dots that have a number of a different colour hidden in them and he definitely cannot do it

I know I have to get over my feelings of guilt but as they days go on I feel worse and just want to cry, my son on the other hand is quite positive and has accepted that this is the way he is.

Don't feel guilty, your son has obviously inherited your brains and work ethic along with his colour blindness and that matters more.

Re Connexions, you don't just have to see the PA at school, you can arrange to see someone at the Connexions office instead. Unfortunately, when the government dismantled the Careers Service and introduced Connexions instead, they changed the remit for their work but there are still traditional Careers Advisers around who'll be happy to help a high achiever like your son.

By the way, could you clarify whether he's looking at becoming an electrical engineer or an electrician as your posts suggest both. If it's electrical engineeering (may also be relevant for an electrician), you might find this site useful as it has a link to the colour blindness test that he'd have to pass.

http://www.aop.org.uk/practitioner-advice/vision-standards/electrical-engineering

happy35

GlasweJen wrote: »

It seems odd that he passed as a child and has a colour defect now, it's genetic so it shouldn't get worse!

Who did the first test and who did the second? Do you live near a university that does optometry? If so I'd call them and ask if he can attend there to be assessed, they will have loads more tests than the average optician and this will be free as you're helping with teaching. Once you have a definitive answer you can go from there,

hi first test was done by the health visitor as part of a routine testing thing, I think there was a yellow fish in a green circle etc. I had the test done this time at a local opticians, did think he was a bit blunt with son to be honest as came straight out said you are totally colour blind, all electrical jobs, pilot and marine jobs are out of the question. Son came out and told me and I was totally shocked because as I have said he had never seemed to have a problem with colour.

A friend has a colour blind child and he is what I would describe as being colour blind as cant find the orange pencil etc.

I will look up the local university as I do think that they do optometry, will let you know how I get on

thanks

rpc

Colour blindness isn't an automatic barrier to being an electrician. What matters is whether you can tell the wires apart and employers have a statutory duty not to unreasonably discriminate. Bear in mind that colour blindness doesn't mean they can't tell the difference at all, it is only certain shades that will cause problems.

Wiring regs do not permit single colour green wires, so red/green shouldn't be an issue. Single colour yellow is not longer a permitted colour, although it is in legacy (pre-2006) use for some installations (but not normally domestic). Single colour blue is used currently.

But just because you are colour blind, doesn't mean that you can't tell the difference between the blue wire and the yellow wire! You may not perceive them as blue or yellow but that isn't the same as being unable to tell the difference.

Don't rule out being a sparky - you need to go and ask questions. I think the important test is along the lines of "can you tell these two wires apart". I've also heard it said that colour blind electricians are safer because they have to double check their work!

peachyprice

happy35 wrote: »

I still cant get my head around the fact that he can tell red from green, blue from yellow and can tell if it is dark green, bright green etc and still be colour blind. I honestly dont think he sees things as sludge, his electronics teacher also cant understand this as he has completed very technical circuits with tiny components and used the correct colours without any help.

Colour blindness can be far more subtle than that. My OH is red/green CB, he can tell the difference between bright or dark red and green, it's the pastels he struggles with, he can't tell the difference between pink and light green, it all looks beige to him.

He did electrics at college, no probs, the only career he was told he couldn't do is a pilot.

happy35

thanks, I have rang a couple of training providers today who have said that it wouldnt be a problem for welding, engineering but may be for electrics

He will have to attend the aptitude tests etc and his colour vision will need to be assessed.

GlasweJen

Ask the uni for a lantern test, that's the one most employers are interested in. They'll probably do it anyway to be honest, get a written report that he can keep and refer to, the degree of your sons colour defect might be so small that it doesn't affect his career choice.

The employer will probably get occupational health to do a screening before he starts, they use the dots in the circles but if your son has the report with the unis findings that usually trumps occy health in terms of accuracy.

Don't let him be put off just yet.

whitewing

Although colourblindness is genetic, according to this bupa site, it can also be acquired eg diabetes http://www.bupa.co.uk/individuals/health-information/directory/c/colour-blindness so it is possible he has it now but not before.

Iris_Blue

rpc wrote: »

Colour blindness isn't an automatic barrier to being an electrician. What matters is whether you can tell the wires apart and employers have a statutory duty not to unreasonably discriminate. Bear in mind that colour blindness doesn't mean they can't tell the difference at all, it is only certain shades that will cause problems.

Wiring regs do not permit single colour green wires, so red/green shouldn't be an issue. Single colour yellow is not longer a permitted colour, although it is in legacy (pre-2006) use for some installations (but not normally domestic). Single colour blue is used currently.

But just because you are colour blind, doesn't mean that you can't tell the difference between the blue wire and the yellow wire! You may not perceive them as blue or yellow but that isn't the same as being unable to tell the difference.

Don't rule out being a sparky - you need to go and ask questions. I think the important test is along the lines of "can you tell these two wires apart". I've also heard it said that colour blind electricians are safer because they have to double check their work!

I'm glad you raised that as I was reading this thread and thinking it doesn't really make a difference to him wanting to be an electrician as he's always seen the same colours since birth and been told what their names are. He knows what they are. It surely makes no difference to him and he can still distinguish between these colours since knowing that he's CB. I'd say go for it, if that's what he wants to do.

My Ex thought that grass was brown, he knows it is green because he's been told so.

System

My Ex thought that grass was brown, he knows it is green because he's been told so.

Thats exactly how i found out my son was colour blind. He had to do some homework and coloured the grass brown. I questioned him about it and he was clueless so i got my optician to check him out before i went to the school for further tests.

I didnt wait for my second son to show signs i had him tested before he started school and again at the age of 7.

My youngest was tested at the age of 5 too though i never had him retested like i did the other two.

Actually i never knew there was such a thing as colour defective vision. I never knew it was genetic or that my Dad was colour blind. All i knew was that when my Dad changed a plug he would get my Mom to check the colours... Oh and there was the times he would get dressed to go out and Mom would send him back upstairs to get a better tie as it would clash with his shirt. Of course it all fell in place when i learned more about it.

welshcamper

im suprised it hasnt been picked up before the age of 16, i had to put sons names on toothbrushes because they couldnt distinguish the colours, there are lots of tell tale signs, the three of them and my dad playing snooker was another one!:rotfl:

my father was colour blind and in the raf but it wouldnt be allowed now, i am a carrier and all three sons are colour blind. one is in the army and the other is an engineer, it does limit a few jobs but there are good careers out there for people with colour blindness.