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Original poster

Geography and colour blind ds

29 replies

dingit · 28/02/2017 18:41

Had a call from school today as ds had problems with a coloured graph in his exam today. The well being coordinator said he may be allowed extra time, but we need to provide proof which I don't have! Anyone have experience of this?

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 28/02/2017 18:43

Speak to the exams officer at school and ask what proof they need. Worth doing I would think.

ErrolTheDragon · 28/02/2017 18:44

Don't they still do colour blindness tests at school? Maybe opticians do it?

ErrolTheDragon · 28/02/2017 18:46

Its a bit surprising, with colour blindness being quite common in boys that they don't use hatching rather than colours - or at least, avoid the combinations which are indistinguishable.

troutsprout · 28/02/2017 18:56

You can download an app for a quick colour blindness test

Original poster
dingit · 28/02/2017 18:58

I asked an optician. He just shrugged when I asked. I know he is, as he's always struggled, and he failed an on line test.
It was a multi choice question, so he managed to whittle it down to two, but couldn't see the colour difference on the map,and asked his teacher. Dd seems to think that the invigilator will help in an exam, as this happened in her year. Will call them tomorrow.

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 28/02/2017 18:59

DS is colour blind, they were all tested in Y8 but we had worked it it before then. He doesn't get any extra time in exams though.

Wolfiefan · 28/02/2017 19:02

The invigilator may well refuse to help unless their is documented evidence. Depends on the rules of the exam board. Do call school and ask for the exams officer. They can tell you what evidence to get and what allowance can be made once the exam board has seen the evidence.

Leeds2 · 28/02/2017 19:15

I would probably try another optician, and tell him/her that school have suggested he has a colour blind test.

unfortunateevents · 28/02/2017 19:36

DS is colour-blind and I'm sure we had a test at Boots show this? We did also have a paid-for test done at the Civil Aviation Authority as he was interested in being a pilot and DH and I thought it better to nail down once and for all if his level of colour-blindness was too severe (it was). That test cost £125 so I wouldn't necessarily recommend that but I do think it should be possible to get one from an optician, not sure why yours is so unforthcoming.

ErrolTheDragon · 28/02/2017 20:03

Specsavers seems to have info on colour blindness testing www.specsavers.co.uk/help-and-faqs/how-can-colour-vision-be-tested so maybe worth trying them?

buckyballs · 28/02/2017 21:35

We had this issue a few years back with a chemistry student who couldn't see the colour changes in reactions. A huge problem for his practical exam but he hadn't told us he was colourblind... he'd just got by up until that point. Our student support officer looked it up and schools do not have to provide evidence to the exam board but can tell students what the colours are. I think she had to write what we had provided down and sent it off with the papers.

I'd say to try and speak to the student support officer in the school rather than someone from geography.

booellesmum · 28/02/2017 21:42

Any optician should be able to do an Ishihara colour vision test.
If they are reluctant or won't offer it you could ask them or your GP to refer to your local hospital eye clinic. The eye clinic will do a letter to your GP after any appointment which will include a diagnosis and you should get a copy of this. Some eye clinics will also do more detailed colour vision tests such as the Farnsworth Munsell 100 Hue Test.

iwouldgoouttonight · 28/02/2017 21:45

My son is colour blind and it was diagnosed at Specsavers, so definitely worth trying there.

Lweji · 28/02/2017 21:49

What kind of graph?

They shouldn't use colours or only colours in exams regardless.

They should make sure graphs have other identifying features to distinguish between categories.
At the very least the colours should give different shades of grey in black and white.

It's quite simple and doesn't require help, extra time or certificates.

ErrolTheDragon · 28/02/2017 21:58

Yes... exams certainly used to be monochrome. I'd have thought they still would be just for cost reasons, in public exams anyway? The exception being practicals as bucky noted.

pamplemoussed · 28/02/2017 22:47

Our local boots opticians provided us with a written statement to provide to our school.

user1471537877 · 28/02/2017 22:55

DS was diagnosed at 5 by spec savers, we routinely inform schools as he moves up

Now in year 8 all staff are reminded, science is also an area that needs to be informed when doing chemical reactions

Even sports can be affected as DS doesent see a red cricket ball as easily or certain hockey balls

We were advised that in certain exams like science he can ask for a helper to identify the colour if necessary

Staff do need to know as they may use red/black to high light information on the white board which is very good with red blind people (protanopia)

If anyone is really interested you can borrow a set of ishihara tests from your local library

Phantommagic · 28/02/2017 22:57

External exams certainly do use colour.

TheAntiBoop · 28/02/2017 23:27

Vision express wrote a letter for ds

InfiniteCurve · 28/02/2017 23:37

Any Optician should be able to check for colour blindness,it's a standard test.And provide a letter,though they might charge for it,

Original poster
dingit · 01/03/2017 07:58

It was specsavers where I asked, so the optician must have been having a bad day!
Ds said it was the map colours rather than the exam paper.
I will speak to the exam officer today, but not looking forward to it after the hassle with the exam board for Dd, and she had medical evidence ( not colour blind, but an injury for PE)

OP posts:
carabos · 01/03/2017 08:06

DS2 is colour blind. His school regarded it as a hidden disability and it was recorded in his paperwork. Geography wasn't a problem because they always used hatching rather than colour but the idiot French teacher didn't seem able to take on board that asking a colour blind pupil to use both colours and a foreign language to identify things wasn't going to end well Hmm.

You will need some sort of "official " confirmation but in our experience its not sufficiently disabling to qualify for extra time in exams.

WhatHaveIFound · 01/03/2017 08:24

I asked our optician to test DS for colour blindness as DH is red/green colour blind. Thankfully no problems.

I would ask yours again and if they won't test, go to a smaller independent optician where they might provide a letter for your DS's school.

Allthebestnamesareused · 01/03/2017 17:49

I am an invigilator. Geography GCSE papers are definitely in colour.

The invigilator will not be able to allow a candidate to have extra time unless they are told the candidate is entitled to it.

It will be the school's own exam officer who will deal with applications to enable extra time to be granted.

Mary21 · 01/03/2017 17:52

Is it possible to ask for papers in an alternative format. I know you can get large print. I would be surprised if there wasn't a black and white option

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