Civil Engineering and Color Blindness

[WillieRyan]

I have a BS in CE and also possess an EIT. After working for eighteen years in retail management, I've decided to change feilds. I have been encountering problems finding a job in the engineering feilds due to my color blindness(I can't pass the Ishihara dot test). I recently applied for a job dealing with bridge design/maintenance and was offered the job. I washed out because I failed the vision portion of the physical due to color blindness and the job offer was revoked because of saftey issues associated with being color blind.

Yesterday, I was called for an interview(environmental engineering job dealing mainly with watershed restoration and sediment transport) and informed the person calling that I was color blind. She informed me that she would have to double check my eligibility and call me back. She later called me back to inform me that my condition disqualified me as being eligible for the position.

Neither of these two jobs listed color acuity as a requirement on the part of the applicant, although positions on both of these companies websites list it as a requirement for some positions but not others. I was just wondering:

1- Are there any CE's reading this forum that are color blind or know of CE's that are?

2- How severely is being color blind going to impact my ability to get a job in CE related feilds?

Thanks,
Willie

 

[HgTX]

What state are you working in? I have never been given a vision test. Unless you're an inspector, I don't see why it should be an issue. Bridges are made out of stuff that's mostly shades of gray, black, and brown anyway. Wear your hardhat in case you bump into something that's sticking out and flagged with orange.

https://www.sta-21.navy.mil/options.html

Color-blindness is quite specifically NOT a disqualifier for the US Navy's Civil Engineer Corps. Not to say that you should apply with them, since they won't take anyone over 35, but if you're good enough for the Navy, you should be good enough for some pissant DOT.

Hg

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[WillieRyan]

HgTX,

Thanks for the reply. I'm in California. The job offer I got that was revoked was as a Bridge Inspector. From the letter: "As you are aware, you did not pass the COLOR VISION(actually capitalzied in the letter)test component of the pre-placement physical exam. Bridge Inspector positions are safety sensitive and do require COLOR VISION. Therefore, our offer of employment is withdrawn.


XXXXX XXXXXXX will accept your re-application for employment through the normal hiring process for non saftey sensitive positions." The letter then goes on to list the ten positions that a color blind person can apply for. The scary thing is that according to the letter, 95 plus percent of the jobs they have openings for are safety sensitive yet most of those positions also do not list the color acuity requirement in the job bulletins on their website.


The requirement also wasn't listed for the other opprotunity I was contacted about interviewing for.

I really started getting concerned when I checked the employment page of the county I live in greater detail today.

http://www.co.sutter.ca.us/doc/government/depts/personnel/personnel_jobs

Sutter County Personnel Department - Employment Opportunities

I'm not qualified for an associate level CE position, but nonetheless, under special requirements in the job bulletin:
"...must be able to percieve color, shapes and forms;..."

Most people have been tested for color blindness at some point in their lives and probably don't even know it. If you're not colorblind the test only lasts a few seconds, and the physician may not even take the time to explain to you that you've just been tested.

Needless to say, I'm pretty concerned that I've got a degree that may be diminished by my colorblindness.

 

[francesca]

Is color blindness considered a disability? If so, I'm sure half a dozen private companies will be lapping to hire you because you look good on their "previously disadvantaged" statistics.

I too have never been tested for colorblindness and it's probably a bureaucratic hurdle in government jobs. Private companies are likely much more flexible, and recognize that color blindness won't bankrupt their group medical benefits program.

I wouldn't be too insulted by the letter. It was clearly a form-letter and while it's insensitive that the medical condition disqualifying you from employment is in all caps, it's probably just an IT glitch that nobody has thought important enough to correct. You could write to the HR department (or local newspaper) and complain if you're feeling froggy.

 

[quark]

I am not aware of civil engineering but pharma companies in India do get us tested for color blindness every year. I am OK so far, but I highly doubt the entire testing process. Like you mentioned, the opthalmologists are bored to do these tests and run the pages before you read the numbers. Fuurther, most of the 1s look like 7s and vice versa. Sometimes, 2 looks like a 7.

Go to a personal doctor and go through the test once again in a leisure manner. Chances are that you can do it.

 

[LCruiser]

What colors are you "blind" to? Someone who can't tell blue from green wouldn't have as much of a problem as one who can't see orange (as in safety orange).

Being an engineer, I wouldn't take a job as a bridge inspector anyway.

 

[HgTX]

Inspectors need to see colour; inspection is a primarily visual job. But I'm with LCruiser--you're an engineer, or at least a proto-engineer. You shouldn't have to take inspection jobs, and inspection jobs aren't necessarily even steps on the ladder toward engineerhood. A position officially labeled as inspection won't count towards your experience for PE licensure. (I had enough trouble describing my inspection-related engineering job in such a way that the board didn't dismiss me as "just an inspector".)

Is your CE degree a new one, after the career shift, or an old one from 18 years ago? If it's the latter and you're having trouble re-entering the engineering field, you might put some serious thought into a graduate degree. Some schools have 9-month MEng programs that won't take too long out of your life (and student loans are low-interest, with the interest tax-deductible).

Hg

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[DMcGrath]

My current supervisor is color blind, and he has been a practicing civil engineer for over 20 years, mainly in consulting, but also a stint or two with local government (public works). As far as I know, he has had no employability issues. Our company's initial-hire physical does test colorblindness, but I think it is just along with the other battery of vision tests. I have high cholesterol, is that the next criteria to weed me out of an opportunity?

 

[LHA]

I also have never heard of an engineer being given a color blindness test.

Women and cats will do as they please; men and dogs should just learn to live with that - Steve

 

[WillieRyan]

Thanks for all the replies. After reading this forum a bit more, I now realize this probably wasn't the most appropriate sub forum to post this topic. I apologize for this oversight on my part. I'll try to limit the amount of bandwidth I'm burning in my responses.


Francesca: Not certain if Daltonisim(i.e. colorblindness) is considered a disabilty by the ADA or other gov't entities. Unfortunantely, both the job I was offered and the job I was contacted to interview for were private sector jobs(one was a smaller environmental consulting firm here in Ca), and neither listed color acuity as a requirement. I did write the company a letter requesting that they review the templates for the job bulletins listed on their website to insure the that the requirement is listed for all appropriate positions. It makes sense to me for them to do this since I'm guessing they just spent about $1200 to wash me out. Possibly more since I only know the costs associated with the prepaid registration for the training conference I was scheduled to go to on 4-27, the costs of the physical exam and the costs to get a local eye doctor to administer a second colorblindness test.

Quark/LCruiser/Iha: Trying to explain colorblindness has always been a difficult thing for me to do. I do think there are a lot of misconceptions about color blindness and that it probably should be refered to as "color-vision impairment".

There are three different types of Daltonism and I know I'm a type 2(whatever that means). I do see all colors and the colors do look vivid.I've never actually heard of a colorblind person who sees the world in a black and white grey scale. In certain situations, I have trouble distinguishing the contrasts of certain colors.

If you look at this page there's six of the thirty-eight images from the Ishihara test:

http://www.toledo-bend.com/colorblind/Ishihara.html

Ishihara Test for Color Blindness

I can see the 25 in the first image and the 56 in the forth image. The rest of the plates look like different colored spots to me. If I put a translucent red piece of cellophane over the images I can also see the 29 and the 8. Usually when the test is administered, you look at the images on the first two pages and if you see those, you skip to the last page. If you're not colorblind, the test is over in a matter of seconds. Most of the people I know that are not colorblind, think they have never actually been tested for it. When they actually see the plates from the Ishihara test, most then remember taking the test.

Also appreciate the comments on inspection positions in regards to the PE. That's an aspect I hadn't considered. The inspection opportunity was a unique one for me. The company in question, is losing a good percentage of their management to retirement in the next six years, and they recruite management from their inspection positions among others. I was offered the job based on what they thought was my potential for upward mobility. It also helped that what they offered me in compensation was fully fifty percent more than I could hope to feild in an entry level CE job.

DMcGrath: Thanks for the reassurance that there's at least a few CE's out there with colorblindness. Considering that between eight and nine percent of the male population is colorblind and given that no one this forum is colorblind, or seems to know any engineers that are, I'm not really sure if discovering positions that don't have the requirement is going to be the exception or the general rule for me.

 

[DaveVikingPE]

I have a friend who is color blind and works as an electrician. Of course, I couldn't believe this. How's he do it? "I'm really careful," he says. He's worked for 20 years with no houses burning down.

I have a cowoker (civil) who is color blind. He has absolutley no trouble as a designer nor as a project manager. In fact, he's pretty darn successful despite his being color blind.

The plans you develop as an engineer are in black and white. You put a black pencil to white paper.

It shouldn't be an issue one bit.

 

[eric1037]

I am color blind (red-green) and I work as a geotechnical engineer. I have had several jobs and have never been tested for color-blindness.

Your test is interesting because I can see the 25, 56 and 29, but none of the rest.

In general, with all of the political correctness in the U.S., it still amazes me that the world is full of things that almost seem to purposely provide difficulties for people with this impairment.

Traffic lights are one example where it seems like it would be very easy to accomodate color blind people. You can't get a pilot's license because the landing lights are red on one side and green on the other.

The same is true for channel marks in public waterways.

I have found that I don't use color as an identifying feature when giving directions. I don't ever say, "Turn right at the green house."

 

[ACtrafficengr]

For those of us with normal vision, check out

http://www.vischeck.com.

You can upload images or web URLs and it alters them to show what they look like to colorblind viewers. You can also save a PowerPoint file as PNG's and upload that to check it.

Is it true that r/g colorblind people have a hard time seeing red laser pointer dots? Supposedly, the green ones show up better, but they are expensive and apparently go through batteries very fast.

------------------------------------------
"...students of traffic are beginning to realize the false economy of mechanically controlled traffic, and hand work by trained officers will again prevail."

Wm. Phelps Eno, ca. 1928

 

[ACtrafficengr]

Apparently, retroreflective backplate borders help colorblind drivers tell which light is on at traffic lights at night.

This is an optional treatment according to the FHWA, meaning highway departments can use it, but aren't required to.

http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/texts/miska/miska023.htm

------------------------------------------
"...students of traffic are beginning to realize the false economy of mechanically controlled traffic, and hand work by trained officers will again prevail."

Wm. Phelps Eno, ca. 1928

 

[Rjeffery]

There is also a (that is right, one) contact lens that will "correct" red-green color blindness. It is known as the X-Chrome lens. When I got mine it was a hard contact colored "Magician Red"

http://www.daviseyecare.com/v_color_def.html

It may help you fool the test but it is not a cure.

Also note that I have been certified as a ANSI level II PT inspector even though I am colorblind because ANSI allows a test for contract rather than just color perception.

Many people are ignorant of the condition and assume that we are "blind" to color which is not correct. The colors and shades that we are "blind" to are not as vivid in most cases.

Just for fun, ask a normally sighted person to describe the color RED or GREEN to you with out using the Nouns that refer to the color.

 

[Ashereng]

Rjeffery,

wavelength interval frequency interval
red 625-740 nm 480-405 THz
green 500-565 nm 600-530 THz

Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color

"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
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[WillieRyan]

AC,

I've never had a problem seeing the dot generated by a laser pointer.


Rjeffery,
Thanks, I've already checked into X-Chrome lense and the Dr. said it would help me, but unfortuantely not to the level it would allow me to pass the test.