Colour vision

The ability to see in colour is impaired in a small number of people (approximately eight percent of males and less than one percent of females) due to inherited differences in retinal sensitivity to colour.

A specialist clinic is run at Oxford Eye Hospital to assess children with suspected colour vision problems, and give advice relating to everyday issues and career options.

Referral into the Colour Vision Advisory Clinic (CVAC) may be via any GP or community optometrist.

We do not usually see children before the age of 11, as the tests involved require a reasonable level of co-operation and judgement of subtle differences for the results to be accurate.

Occupational testing for adults to assess whether they meet specific vocational vision standards is available privately. For more details please contact us.

Optometry Department Secretary: 01865 234567

Other people may acquire a colour vision problem due to an underlying medical condition, or as a side effect of certain systemic drugs. We are able to assess an individual's colour vision in order to screen for or monitor such changes if requested to do so by an ophthalmologist or other doctor.

Colour vision advisory clinic (pdf)