Strathclyde Police Choose to Discriminate

Strathclyde Police are choosing to disciminate against those with colour vision which varies from "normal".

In a docuument published on their website at http://www.strathclyde.police.uk/recruitment/FileSelect.aspx?fc_id=3306&docid=4751, Strathclyde Police state the following:-

There is no absolute barrier to recruitment because an individual suffers from any specific medical conditions. All applications for entry are assessed on their merits individually by the recruitment department with input from the Force Medical Adviser. This allows the Force to consider the need for any reasonable adjustments on a case by case basis. For example although the Home Office Guidance describes some conditions as being unlikely to be compatible with recruitment Strathclyde Police have accepted recruits with insulin treated diabetes, some infectious conditions and certain knee conditions. In other situations, however, Strathclyde Police have had to set a more stringent standard for colour vision.

So, quite clearly, Strathclyde Police, by their own admission, are choosing to single out potential recruits who have colour vision which varies from the "normal".

• There is no explantation as to why Strathclyde Police "have had" to set a more stringent standard.
• There is no known statement of what standards Strathclyde Police are applying to colour vision.

This admission of discrimination by Strathclyde Police is despite that facts

• that an in-depth investigation into eysight and policing revealed that colour vision (apart from the most severe monochromate) is not relevant to the role of an operational police officer
• that Standards for eyesight for police forces in Scotland are laid down in law
• that the same standards are being applied by police forces throughout the United Kingdom
• that the Disability Discrimination Act expects larger employers to find it easier to be able to offer "reasonable adjustments" (Strathclyde being the 2nd largest police force in the UK)
• that such attitudes have been found to be disciminatory in a case heard by an Employment Tribunal