Red/Green color blindness

[breakingtime91]

Hello, I am unsure if this where I should be posting this but it is relevant to law enforcement. I just got back from the eye doctor to get my eyes checked and everything is perfect besides the fact that I am "mildly" red green colorblind. This means that I fail the plate test (knew that from MEPs when I joined the Marine Corps). He said that I will pass any practical test, if the department I apply for does one (I have heard of the yarn or crayon test). I guess my question is, how detrimental is this to me? I served four years as an infantryman with multiple deployments and got an individual award for tracking vehicles we were interdicting by make, model, and color. I will be pretty bummed if this is what determines if I get hired or not.

[KeeFus]

I guess my question is, how detrimental is this to me? I served four years as an infantryman with multiple deployments and got an individual award for tracking vehicles we were interdicting by make, model, and color. I will be pretty bummed if this is what determines if I get hired or not.

It shouldn't. Same thing with me at MEPS back in 1988 when I went delayed entry. Couldn't see the lines/letter/numbers on the plates either but I 'see' color just fine. When I failed the plates they simply flipped those little color indicators on the outside of the door around and asked the color. I thought it would be an issue as you do now but it hasn't posed a problem and I'm starting my 21st year.

[HCM]

Hello, I am unsure if this where I should be posting this but it is relevant to law enforcement. I just got back from the eye doctor to get my eyes checked and everything is perfect besides the fact that I am "mildly" red green colorblind. This means that I fail the plate test (knew that from MEPs when I joined the Marine Corps). He said that I will pass any practical test, if the department I apply for does one (I have heard of the yarn or crayon test). I guess my question is, how detrimental is this to me? I served four years as an infantryman with multiple deployments and got an individual award for tracking vehicles we were interdicting by make, model, and color. I will be pretty bummed if this is what determines if I get hired or not.

Depends on the department. Most fed agencies use the same plate/book test you took in MEPS.

A highschool friend of mine switched from NROTC to Army ROTC because of colorblindness. He's an O-5 now so it all worked out.

[Hambo]

The city I worked for said police/fire could not be color blind, but the physical was so lame that I think Ray Charles could have passed the eye portion. I had hearing loss but passed the hearing exam with flying colors.

[Paul]

Can you tell the difference between a red and green car or shirt? If it's not going to stop you from putting out accurate suspect descriptions or hinder you from finding the right bad guys, I'm not telling you to lie, but I wouldn't go out of my way to broadcast impertinent information.

[BehindBlueI's]

Can you tell the difference between a red and green car or shirt? If it's not going to stop you from putting out accurate suspect descriptions or hinder you from finding the right bad guys, I'm not telling you to lie, but I wouldn't go out of my way to broadcast impertinent information.

Mild colorblindness doesn't work like that. You can tell red from green, you just have trouble telling where they stop and merge into each other. You can pick a green crayon out of a box of red ones, but if you have a green dot in a field of red ones of various shades, its hard work to find it, and you can't tell exactly where it transitions.

OP- I have mild colorblindess on the red/brown/green tests. There are a few shades of green I have trouble telling from gray. It didn't hurt my military career, nor did it prevent me from being hired on as an LEO.

[KeeFus]

Mild colorblindness doesn't work like that. You can tell red from green, you just have trouble telling where they stop and merge into each other. You can pick a green crayon out of a box of red ones, but if you have a green dot in a field of red ones of various shades, its hard work to find it, and you can't tell exactly where it transitions.



^^^Me too and very good info.

[breakingtime91]

Mild colorblindness doesn't work like that. You can tell red from green, you just have trouble telling where they stop and merge into each other. You can pick a green crayon out of a box of red ones, but if you have a green dot in a field of red ones of various shades, its hard work to find it, and you can't tell exactly where it transitions.

OP- I have mild colorblindess on the red/brown/green tests. There are a few shades of green I have trouble telling from gray. It didn't hurt my military career, nor did it prevent me from being hired on as an LEO.

Sounds like we're in the same boat brother. Thanks for the vote of confidence.

[Coyotesfan97]

I'm mildly red/green color blind with problems telling colors apart.

[breakingtime91]

I'm mildly red/green color blind with problems telling colors apart.

how did your physical go when you applied

[Coyotesfan97]

The Doctor giving me the exam told me to go get a red tinted contact lens and he ran me through the test again.


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[Coyotesfan97]

For some reason the yarn or colored sticks weren't available


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[breakingtime91]

hm.. ok. This is what drives me crazy, so much variation between locations.

[Coyotesfan97]

hm.. ok. This is what drives me crazy, so much variation between locations.
My pre hire physical was 27 years ago so I'm sure it's changed. :D

[BobM]

In the 80 s I was turned down by a couple of agencies due to color blindness. When I was interviewing at the agency that hired me in 89 I had to try to explain color blindness to the chief, mayor and safety director. Finally the chief had me follow him to the parking lot and identify a line of cars by color. Apparently I passed.


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[Erick Gelhaus]

I'm red/green deficient - I see them and other colors, but not the way someone with normal color vision would.

What I found is that it was agency dependent. One department had no concerns over another issue in my medical history, but would not accept the color vision deficiency. The agency that hired me had no concerns over the red/green issue (we have a number of color deficient/blind guys) but had significant concerns over another issue. Go figure.