Gosh,
    I hope colorblindness isn't something that would make one "incompetent"!
I think the statistic is 1:4 males are colorblind. If that were true then
we'd loose 25% of our male techs. That's just nutty. Colorblind people often
don't even know they are because the mind extrapolates the colors it knows
it should be seeing. It only gets confused in complicated patterns. Many
pathologists just ask for a different counterstain and they have no problem.
Techs could do similar work arounds.
Amos Brooks
(not colorblind ... :-)

----- Original Message -----
From: 
Cc: "'Histonet'" 
Sent: Thursday, June 13, 2002 3:40 PM
Subject: Re: Technical competence


>
>
> I agree with Kim and I have also known a great pathologist that was
> colorblind . I dont believe the original question was meant to screen
these
> people out anymore than you would screen someone out because they were
> far-sighted but rather how to help train them to do the job with the
> disadvantage. While a pathologist's training allows them not to be
> dependent on color to determine cell type even in special stains it may be
> an impediment to a histo tech that is checking to make sure the procedure
> was carried out correctly. I would be interested in knowing what part of
> the technician's job will be affected by colorblindness and the problems
> that Betty has encountered.
> Anita
>
>
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> I have actually known a couple of pathologists that were colorblind (they
> were
> both excellent pathologists)!  If a pathologist can be colorblind, I'm
sure
> that a histologist could be colorblind too.
>
> Kim Merriam
> TKT
> Cambridge, MA
>
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