A REAPPRAISAL OF SCREENING FOR COLOR-VISION IMPAIRMENTS

Screening for colour vision impairments (CVI) has been carried out in schools in the UK since 1934, but little is known about its yield or v alue. A survey was conducted among Sheffield schoolboys, school nurses and optometrists to determine the benefits of CVI screening. The resu lts indicated that between 4.2 and 5.2% of boys had been identified as having a CVI, compared with the expected prevalence of 8%. Boys were ill-informed about the significance of CVI for careers planning but re cognized the potential importance of having this information before ma king decisions about choice of subjects and examinations. Possible rea sons for the low yield of screening are reviewed and alternative strat egies are discussed.