Colour Vision and South Yorkshire Police

Colour Vision Defects
Reference number: 20080511
Request date: 28 November 2008
Response date: 21 January 2009

Request details:

1. Has South Yorkshire Police service complied with Home Office Circular 25/2003 in respect of applicants to become a police officer with a colour vision defect.

2. If yes, do you accept recruits with (a) mild, (b) moderate and (C) severe colour vision defect.

3. If no, what standard do you apply for applicants to become police officers.

4. Please indicate the number of male and female officers who have been appointed by you since 2003 who have been identified as having colour vision defect.

5. What 'coping strategies' (Home Office Circular 25/2003) have you incorporated into your training/operational policies for officers who have been identified as having a severe colour vision defect.

Exemptions Applied: NONE

SYP response:

1- Has South Yorkshire Police service complied with Home Office Circular 25/2003 in respect of applicants to become a police officer with a colour vision defect.
South Yorkshire Police have complied with the Home Office Circular 25/2003 in respect of applicants becoming a police officer with a colour vision defect.

2- If yes, do you accept recruits with (a) mild, (b) moderate and (C) severe colour vision defect.
Please find attached a copy of the South Yorkshire Police Eye Sight form which outlines the levels of defect that are accepted.

3- If no, what standard do you apply for applicants to become police officers.
Not Applicable.

4- Please indicate the number of male and female officers who have been appointed by you since 2003 who have been identified as having colour vision defect.
South Yorkshire Police do not collate any statistics with regard to the numbers of colour defects, regardless of the type of deficiency.

5- What 'coping strategies' (Home Office Circular 25/2003) have you incorporated into your training/operational policies for officers who have been identified as having a severe colour vision defect.
South Yorkshire Police have no specific "coping strategy" in relation to this, Reasonable adjustments would be made on a case by case basis, dependent upon the level of defect in line with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 2005 [1]. Please find attached a copy of the South Yorkshire Police policy [2] and procedural instruction [3] for Managing Disability which would give guidance in such cases.

Please note – This policy and subsequent procedural instruction is currently under review.

I hope the information we have provided is of help to your enquiries and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in South Yorkshire Police.

Source URL: http://www.southyorks.police.uk/foi/disclosurelog/20080511

Links:
[1] http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2005/ukpga_20050013_en_1
[2] http://www.southyorks.police.uk/sites/default/files/20080511 - Policy - Managing Disability.pdf
[3] http://www.southyorks.police.uk/sites/default/files/20080511 - Procedural Instruction - Managing Disability.pdf

Contacting Absolutely PC

It has come to our attention that the e-mail contact information for AbsolutelyPC has become immersed somewhere in the site and almost impossible to find - so, our apologies to those who have been trying to contact us.

We have now added contact information to the sidebar, not just e-mail but telephone and fax as well.

The telephone service will take you to a recorded answering service - please do leave a message with your contact details and we'll endeavour to get back to you asap.

best regards

AbsolutelyPC

Strathclyde Police and National Fitness Standard for the Scottish Police Service

The following article is extracted from
http://hf911.cn/index.php?article/health/2009-01-28/13316.html

Strathclyde Police requires all new recruits to meet the new National Fitness Standard for the Scottish Police Service.

From 1st September 2007, all new applicants and recruits to the Scottish Police Service have been required to undertake the new national fitness standard as a demonstration of physical fitness.

The new standard replaces the variety of fitness testing regimes utilised by the eight Scottish Forces to date. In addition, it links into the fitness regime used by the Scottish Police College during both the Initial Training and Reconvention probationary courses.Once appointed, probationary officers will be expected to continue to demonstrate their fitness to the required levels throughout their probationary period.

Strathclyde Police appear willing to agree to this common standard yet have unilaterally rejected the common standards set down for colour vision by the Scottish Ministers, and approved by the same stakeholder bodies who will have agreed the new fitness standards, including ACPOS.

Throughout Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom, potential police recruits know precisely how their colour vision fits with the acceptable standards for being a police officer.

Only in the area policed by Strathclyde are they given the message "you are not wanted".

• Colour vision defects are no longer a bar to entry. However severe colour vision deficiencies (monochromats) are not acceptable [Devon and Cornwall]
• The use of colour correcting lenses and sever colour vision deficiencies (monochromats) are unacceptable.Severe anomalous dichromats or trichomats are acceptable. [Cheshire]
• Severe colour vision deficiencies (monochromats) are not acceptable. Anomalous trichromats are acceptable. Severe anomalous trichromats or dichromats are also acceptable but you will need to be aware of the deficiency and make appropriate adjustments. [Northamptonshire]
• Severe colour vision deficiencies (monochromats) are not acceptable. Mild anomalous trichromats are acceptable. Severe anomalous dichromats or trichromats are also acceptable but you will need to be aware of the deficiency and make appropriate adjustments. [Northumbria]
• Click here for information on the Standards for Scottish police forces

Colour Vision and Cheshire Police

Cheshire Police and Colour Vision
Freedom of Information Disclosure

from Cheshire Police - Freedom of Information: Disclosure Logs - 2008

Severe Colour Vision Defect

Request "Severe Colour Vision Defect"

1. Has Cheshire Constabulary complied with Home Office Circular 25/2003 in respect of applicants to become a police officer with a Colour Vision Defect?

2. If yes, do you accept recruits with (a) mild, (b) moderate and (c) severe Colour Vision Defect?

3. If no, what standard do you apply for applicants to become police officers?

4. Please indicate the number of male and female officers who have been appointed by you since 2003 who have been identified as having a Colour Vision Defect.

5. What 'coping strategies' (Home Office 25/2003) have you incorporated into your training/operational policies for officers who have been identified as having a Severe Colour Vision Defect?


Response 17th December 2008
In accordance with section 1(1) (b) of the Act our response is provided below;

Question 1. Yes, Cheshire Constabulary complies with the afore mentioned circular.

Question 2. Each applicant is assessed by the provider of our medical services. Applicants are assessed individually and we cannot specify any further than this.

Question 3. As stated in question one,

Question 4. We do not hold this information. (held by the medical services provider)

Question 5. Each applicant is individually assessed by the medical services provider and with each one a series of 'Coping Strategies' and reasonable adjustments are put in place, which are unique to the applicant.

Strathclyde Continues Discriminating

Dateline - October 2008

Strathclyde Police continue to discriminate against men who are diagnosed as having moderate colour vision deficiency.

Why is this discrimination? Because

1. according to the Medical Advisors to the Scottish Police Service (MASPS) "Full colour vision is not a requirement of the role of an Operational Police Constable" and
2. according to the Scottish Ministers "Severe anomalous trichromats and dichromats are acceptable" for recruitment into the Scottish Police Service.

Dave thought he was on the way to becoming an officer with the Strathclyde police, having successfully reached the final interview stage.

Dave had been told by his optician that he had mild colour vision abnormaily but an examination at Caledonian University classed him as moderate deutanomalous trichromat - broadly meaning he would have difficulty in determining shades of green.

Wondering what this might mean to his chances of becoming a police officer, he asked others for advice. "Don't worry" was the reply he received - "red/Green is fine mate. Try not to worry! Been there before as you know and you'll be fine!!!" - "I have red green and passed. sometimes you have to be aware of the limitations and may not be able to be in FSU, but other than that you will be fine!"

And when Dave read the information available on the Scottish Government website and the PoliceCouldYou website they both said the same - "acceptable".

But Dave's hopes of serving in his local police force were dashed when he received a letter of rejection about a month later.

Initially devastated, Dave made enquiries of other forces, to be told that he would be acceptable as per the Regulations. Dave is now considering applying to another force, even though they are not his local force, and said "I just hope one day Strathclyde Police fall into line with the Scottish Minister's, the Home Office, the Police Federation (Scotland) and MASPS (Medical Advisers to the Scottish Police Service) as well as the rest of the forces up and down the country."

While Strathclyde Police continue to to arogantly defy the law of the land, at the same time two Discrimination cases continue their way through the Employment Tribunal in Glasgow. Perhaps sometime soon the courts will force Strathclyde Police to have some respect for the law.

Case "could set a precedent"

From the Freeth Cartwright Employment Review September 2008

Pre Employment Discrimination

A graduate who had his initial application for the Strathclyde Police turned down due to his colour blindness has successfully won the right to a tribunal hearing on the grounds of sex discrimination.

Robin Dixon, 26 of East Kilbride, who lost his initial claim of disability discrimination, joins Graeme McCullie 29, whose application to Strathclyde Police was also turned down due to his colour-blindness, in bringing a claim of indirect sex discrimination as men are more prone to suffer from colour-blindness than women.

Chief Inspector Douglas Campbell told Mr Dixon’s previous tribunal that Mr Dixon would have made a good police constable but his application would not be progressed, as there were concerns about his own health and safety, the safety of other officers and the general public. His mother Marie Dixon, from East Kilbride, said: “There is something very wrong here when the force rejects candidates despite the evidence.

His condition means that he only has problems differentiating between shades of green. He is distraught that he has not been accepted after being suitable in every other way.”

Although this case has not yet been heard, it is predicted it could set a precedent for claims against employers who refuse applications on the basis of colour blindness or other such medical condition.

It is best practice for employers not to adopt such a blanket refusal of job applicants based on a medical condition but to assess each individual applicant on their own merits to avoid any claims for disability and/or sex discrimination. This can be done, depending on the condition, by referral to an occupational therapist or an assessment by a GP.

From Case Check

R A Dixon v Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police S/120872/2006 F596/61

Posted by: Fiona Davidson (28/08/2008 07:51:00)

A colour-blind graduate whose application to join the police was turned down because he suffers from colour vision abnormality has won the right to claim sex discrimination at an employment tribunal.

Robin Dixon (26) has already lost a disability discrimination claim against Strathclyde Police because of his colour blindness.

But now, following a preliminary hearing, he has won the right to fight his case again, this time on the grounds of sex discrimination.

The Glasgow tribunal ruled that although his claim was timebarred, the matter should be allowed to proceed to a full hearing on the basis of justice and equity.

Mr Dixon will now join another applicant, Graeme McCullie (29), from Kilmarnock, who was also turned down by Strathclyde Police because he too is colour-blind. Both will now have their sex discrimination claims heard by the Glasgow tribunal at a later date.

Mr Dixon, from East Kilbride, only discovered after losing his disability discrimination claim that more males than females were affected by colour blindness and that he might be able to argue his case on the grounds of indirect sex discrimination.

But Strathclyde Police objected as he had failed to lodge his complaint within three months of the alleged discriminatory act. His recruitment application was rejected in November 2005 but he did not lodge his sex discrimination claim with the Glasgow tribunal office until October 2006.

Mr Dixon, from East Kilbride, told last month's hearing to determine whether his case should be allowed to proceed, that it should be permitted to go ahead in the interests of justice, as he had been unaware prior to October 2006 that he could claim sex discrimination.

Mr Dixon, from East Kilbride, said it was his life-long ambition to join the police. He is now working as a store manager in Dublin.

A previous tribunal hearing Mr Dixon's disability discrimination claim heard evidence that Chief Inspector Douglas Campbell told him he would have made a good police constable but his application would not be progressed, explaining there were concerns about not only his own health and safety but also that of other officers and the general public. He explained there were concerns as to the reliability and credibility of evidence, which would rely on Mr Dixon's ability to distinguish colours being called into question.

Following the preliminary hearing, employment judge Michael MacMillan concluded ''The judgment of the tribunal is that the application is subject to time bar in terms of section 76(1) of the Sex Discrimination Act 1976. Having heard parties' submissions on the matter, the tribunal has determined to exercise the discretion available to it under Section 76(5), and allow the matter to proceed to a full hearing, on the basis of justice and equity.''

The case is expected to be heard towards the end of the year.