Comments on: Police Officer – Does Color Blindness Matter?

By: Myrtonos

Myrtonos — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 12:05:30 +0000

How about this situation: A police officers witnesses a theft and reports it to the police station. “The suspect is about 24 years old, has red hair and light skin. A light khaki shirt; and dark khaki trousers.”

In fact a deutranomlalous police officer may be at an advantage here becasue of the added ablility to distinguish shades of khaki.

By: Dave Stillo

Dave Stillo — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 02:42:36 +0000

It is on thing to be colorblind but completely different to lie, cheat, and falsify documents. How about taking it a step further and recruiting a relative to take the test for you so you can prepare to cheat on your own. Your dishonest actions are far more deceptive than just lying about a medical issue. And you clearly weren’t police officer material you should have sold used cars with your lyin eyes!

By: David Ferrante

David Ferrante — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 14:21:35 +0000

The Colorful Truth
After several newscasts depicting me as the “former police officer who cheated on the vision test” aired by Cleveland area news outlets, there is an argument that you may want to consider. Yes, I have a red-green deficiency; Yes, I made a mistake, but I am not colorblind.
Colorblind implies that one is simply unable to see colors. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact with my disability, and that is exactly what this deficiency is, I can see colors very well. As a fellow red-green deficient reporter recently pointed out, it is the colors within the red-green family that make distinguishing crossover colors difficult. In nearly twenty-one years in law enforcement with the Army and here in Ohio, I never had a single issue locating a house, car, or person based upon a color description. But let’s put all those years aside for a moment and look at this from another perspective.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in part reads, “Title I requires employers with 15 or more employees to provide qualified individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to benefit from the full range of employment-related opportunities available to others. “ This paragraph continues to explain that employers may not discriminate within their hiring practice based upon a person’s disability. The Parma Police department requirements simply do not tolerate colorblindness. No other detailed definition exists and just as the interpretation of colors from one person to the next is subjective, the city of Parma’s discrimination of color deficient applicants is apparently a violation.
Obviously attorneys can argue this in a variety of ways but consider the last line, “it requires that employers make reasonable accommodation to the known physical or mental limitations of otherwise qualified individuals with disabilities, unless it results in undue hardship.”
There are thousands of police officers with disabilities that are working and thriving in law enforcement. Officers who wear eye glasses or contact lenses, officers with prosthetic limbs, officers that wear hearing aids, officers that are severely overweight, officers that are diabetic, and officers that struggle with psychological disabilities. Should these officers be investigated and be required to admit their disabilities to the world?
Let’s keep it simple for the purposes of my situation. A police officer or police applicant may fail the vision test because of his poor vision but with corrective lenses, that same applicant may likely overcome this deficiency. The same holds true with color vision deficiencies. Corrective lenses are available that clear up color confusion. According to Dr. Thomas Azman, his research and corrective lenses are the key to correcting this disability. Since 1999 Dr. Thomas Azman has been using the ColorCorrection System™.
Dr. Azman has been 100% successful and guarantees success in passing the Ishihara Color Plate Test – the same test the many police departments administer.
There are numerous findings – medical evidence that color confusion or deficiencies can be corrected to enable the individual to obtain a chosen career path without “undue hardship” to the employer or the employee.
I resigned from my position in May of 2010. Five years prior to this, I began writing a book titled To Protect and Serve Abuse, a fictional depiction of a large suburban police department within the community of Amrap, Ohio. It seems awfully coincidental that after the book was released in late November of 2010, the Parma Police Department decided then to label me a cheater who was colorblind, seven months later. Apparently this “color deficient former police officer” has ruffled a few feathers with these stories from within that thin blue line.
Be that as it may, I did what I that I needed to do to overcome my disability. You are entitled to your opinion as to whether the punishment fit the crime. As I go on and try to acclimate myself into a civilian role, I hope and pray that my daughter’s son is not color deficient which is a distinct possibility. And if he is, I am hopeful that discriminatory practices do not handcuff his chances of becoming a police officer, an airline pilot, an electrician, or whatever occupation he finds as his calling.

David Ferrante

By: Richard Comaish

Richard Comaish — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 14:59:50 +0000

Doc, my buddy – I just felt that the article seems to unnecessarily add fuel to the exaggerated view of the operational problems experienced with the colour-blind. The degree of severity might be an issue in say, police operations, but the fact is that the vast majority of those branded with the label are mild cases – this needs to be generally understood. Added to which, the key issue here is the notorious conservatism of the employer in question – the police – its failure to make reasonable adjustments for disability in general, and colour-blindness in particular, and its related discrimination, in these aspects, particularly against new recruits. Precise colour identification is, after all, a relatively small part of police work, as of life in general. Obviously, some police departments have got the message already, but the response appears patchy.

By: James

James — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 06:39:42 +0000

This entry is an update regarding my July 23, 2009 post. I have a mild color deficiency and yes, I can distinguish between green, red, blue, pink, orange, yellow and purples without problems. But the Ishihara test is the problem for me.

Unfortunately, I did not pass my color-vision test with the LAPD. I passed every step with no complications. Even met with my background investigator and was ready to start the process. But before that was to happen I was scheduled for the medical. That was my dream buster, after receiving the disqualification letter. I took it to my optometrist and he didn’t bother to give me an appropriate color-vision test that could have helped me with my appeal.

Thus, the Dr. just read the disqualification notice and wrote me a short handwritten letter stating my mild deficiency and that an X-chrome lens could be used to correct my deficiency. Obviously, an X-chrome lens or any other color corrective lens is a disqualifying factor.

This was my first experience and didn’t know how to approach and be successful in the appeals or what type of steps I should have taken. The LAPD appeals board took great pleasure in denying my appeals because the Dr. didn’t give me a solid proof that my deficiency was not going to impaired my duties as an officer.

For those who are in the hiring process with LAPD or want to apply and have a color deficiency. This is the medical examination process…

1)A drug test is conducted. You pee in a cup and the excess urine goes into the toilet but don’t flush, the nurse will flush for you. If you flush you might be disqualify. In addition, the toilet has a blue dye in the water that detects traces of narcotics.

2). Color vision test (Ishihara test) the nurse checks your eyes with a flashlight. She/he will ask you to look right or left or tilt your head up to check if your wearing any contacts. In my case I wear corrective contact lenses which gives me 20/20 and great night-vision. Thus, she already knew I wore contacts because I had stated in the medical application of my nearsightedness. However, if you wear corrective contact lenses you are not asked to take them out. In that same room and after the Ishihara you are given a depth perception test.

Then I was taken to the next room. A dark room with a brown wooden table and a desk/office lamp. Again I was given the Ishihara test. This time the nurse gave me a q-tip to trace the number for her but I couldn’t see any number. Then I was given two sheet of papers. 1) a laminated paper with color strips and 2) second sheet is where the answers are to be marked. The nurse told me to take my time and don’t rush. But the color strips are hard to see. If you want an example go to your Home Depot paint department. Then located where they have color samples and those are the same color strips that you are given if you can’t pass the Ishihara test.

3) A hearing test is conducted. You are placed in a box with head phones and the test is conducted.

4) You are taken to another room where you are to take your shirt off and are hooked up to an EKG machine to test for abnormalities of the heart.

5) You are taken to another room where your breathing is tested. Not sure what this machine is called but you are to blow into this machine and you see a green ball hovering. Don’t take drinks with caffeine in them because you will fail the test. The nurse asks if you have had caffeine that morning.

6) The county doctor checks your heart, lungs, reflex, ears, neck, and makes you walk like a duck, and asks very brief questions about your health.

7) You are taken to another room and are to run on this machine that climbs as it speeds up. This machine has a handle and are to hold onto the handle but must let go as it speeds up. The instructor cautions you that if you hold onto the handle the test will be terminated. You must be on this machine for 10 minutes. If you can’t stay on this machine for 10 minutes you fail the test.

While you wait for your medical results. You must go and ask for your psychological evaluation packed or a questionnaire. You are referrer to take the test and seat in a room across the waiting area. It is a long one and you can complete it in one sitting or in two. Be very careful and read all the directions and sentences before you mark your answer. Remember that the questions are similar but in different wording. That’s why take your time and re-read.

Some people were failing because of their weight. I always say, I rather be a bit overweight than with a color deficiency.

I will apply with the border patrol. Unfortunately, they use the Ishihara test too. But I will ask if they have any waivers or if I can take the Farnsworth D-15 color test or if they accept a diagnosis from a private Dr. This time I will fight, I will not let my dreams go down the drain.

Color deficiency is gaining attention and I hope a movement can be started that would pressure federal and states to provide alternative color vision testing for applicants. The Ishihara is not the only color vision test out there and is not 100%.

Lastly, there is a hope though. A doctor in Maryland offers custom made clear contact lenses that actually is 100% effective in passing the Ishihara test and helps color blind individuals distinguish colors in the real world too. The price for these wonderful clear contacts is $8,900 and roughly 67% of law enforcement agencies are okay with candidates wearing these. You must fly to Maryland for testing and fitting. 4-6 hours is the duration of the test.

Many of us don’t have that kind of money and medical insurance will not cover the contacts.