COLOUR BLINDNESS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 79, Issue 7077, 6 July 1949, Page 4

COLOUR BLINDNESS

MANY BOYS SUFFER

TESTS CARRIED OUT IN WELLINGTON

Tests carried out by the Wellington Vocational Guidance Centre show that colour-blindness or defective colour vision is present in some degree in one of every 20 males. The centre has already tested all the boys at two of the largest post-primary schools. “Boys only are tested,” said the Vocational Guidance Officer, Mr J. G. Green, “because defective colour vision is extremely rare in girls or women.”

Now, at last, we understand why so many husbands are often perplexed at what they call their wives* '‘finicky insistence on some shade of mauve indistinguishable—that is, to the resigned husbands—from any other shade; or for that matter, the wives’ horror of what they call often clashes of colour when they regard with distaste the cushion on somebody else’s sofa. From this point on, the interview with Mr Greeu, therefore, deals only with males.

Very few people are completely colour blind, he said. The degree varies, but the commonest form is inability to distinguish red from green. What a completely colour blind person sees when he looks on some panorama spread before him—say from the top-storey of a high building—is believed to be for ever speculative to another person, for the observer of the scene, never having been able to distinguish colours, is unable to say precisely what he does see. It may be that it is like a picture in black, whites, and greys. Many Do Not Know

The fact remains, however, according to Mr Green, that many boys who are colour blind or partially so are unaware of it. “In fact,” he said “some colour-blind persons have been successful in trades and occupations in which we would generally regard normal colour vision as essential.” “In general,” said Mr Green, “colour vision has not a great deal to do with most occupations, but for. certain positions in the Navy, Air Force, Railways, and Police Force, normal colour vision is essential. In some trades, too, particularly electrical ones, the ability to distinguish different coloured wires is necessary. Certain positions in the textile industries, and in the drapery trade, are among others to be considered carefully by the small percentage of boys affected, as also are some positions with firms undertaking illuminating engineering, paint and printing ink manufacture, printing-, colour photo-

grapKy and photo engraving, the tempering of metals, a few laboratory positions, certain branches of fruit growing and horticulture, and even on the medical side, particularly bacteriology and pathology. “In many of these jobs, however, it is only one phase of the work which involves colour- discrimination. There are usually many other jobs within the same industry which can be performed with entire success. Colour-blind persons may rely on other aids in the selection of colours, but this can only be at the expense of a certain amount of time and anxiety.

Tests Advocated

“For these reasons,” Mr Green went on, “it is desirable for a boy to learn of any colour vision defect as early as possible so that he may, if he has already decided on a career where colour discrimination is important, consider alternative jobs. The centre is only too glad to provide a test.”

A curious aspect of heredity mentioned by Mr Green is that a woman with a colour-blind father can pass the defect on to her sons or her daughters’ sons without being effected herself.