I am red-blue, red-green colour blind and I knew this from about 10 years of
age. As I have now worked for 34 years in Histology I have not found it to
be a major problem.  My mentor in the early years said I should judge
stained structures on morphology as well as colours.  People seem to think
colour blindness means you only see in grey shades.  This is not true as I
still see colours but not necessarily the same as most people.  I have also
found that colour blindness leads to a more acute sense of shades of
colours.

When I was studying I was fortunate enough to have lecturers and tutors who
were willing to explain to me the structures I was looking at and I was then
able to judge what colour they were for myself.

I have also been educating students for most of the 30 years since I
qualified and my colour blindness was never bought into question.

During my period in the laboratory I have know three completely colourblind
pathologist and they were by far the best morphologists I have ever met.
One in particular rarely asked for special stains as he said a good H&E said
it all. However, he has relented on IHC although he says he can't see brown
he can still see the reacive sights.

Bill Sinai
Laboratory Manager
Tissue Pathology
ICPMR
P.O. Box 533
Wentworthville NSW  Australia 2145

----- Original Message -----
From: "Teresa Flores" 
To: "Raiford, Betty" 
Cc: 
Sent: Thursday, June 13, 2002 11:13 PM
Subject: Re: Technical competence


> Betty, in our pathology department, and right before our CAP inspection
> (every 2 years), our Laboratory Director, will go to each lab, EM, Histo,
> Cytogenetics, Cytology, Clinical Laboratory and give each one of us a
color
> blind test (including pathologist). This is documented and kept in each
> ones personnel file. I am not sure if this is part of CAP questions, but I
> would look into it. Do your employees get a physical before they begin? It
> could be done there also, I would think.
> It is the same Color chart that I use to help out in my sons high school
> when we were screening for eye exams.
> Good luck, Teresa
> Does anyone have information on how to address histology techs "in
training"
> >who are color blind?  How do you address this?  What are the established
> >criteria for screening for this in potential candidates coming in to
> >programs?
> >
> >Betty Raiford
> >Program Manager
> >Charles River Laboratories
> >3900 NCTR Rd.
> >Jefferson, AR  72079
> >(870)543-7035
> >(870)543-7030
> >braiford@nctr.fda.gov 
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Raiford, Betty
> > Sent: Thursday, June 06, 2002 3:15 PM
> > To: 'Histonet'
> > Subject: unsubscribe
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
>