Colour vision deficiency - How colour vision deficiency can affect your life

Colour vision deficiency won't usually affect your long-term health, but it could affect your choice of career.

Depending on how severe your condition is, you may be not able to do certain jobs that require accurate colour recognition.

For example, jobs you may be excluded from include:

• some positions in the armed forces
• customs and excise officers
• fire service officers
• hospital laboratory technicians
• pharmacists
• electricians
• certain flying-related roles, such as pilots and air traffic controllers
• jobs that involve the manufacture of paint, paper or textiles
• train drivers and railway maintenance staff

There are many other jobs you may not be excluded from but may find more difficult than someone who has normal colour vision – for example, marketing, web design and medicine.

Children

It's very important that a child with colour vision deficiency is identified early so their teacher can be made aware of the problem.

Colour vision deficiency isn't currently recognised as a special educational need (SEN) and teachers aren't routinely trained to recognise or work with colour vision deficiency.

As many learning materials are colour coded, your child may have difficulties if their learning environment isn't adapted for their needs.

The Colour Blind Awareness website has more information about colour vision deficiency, including living with colour vision deficiency.