Sunday, February 01, 2009

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