ABSTRACT

Besides the diagnosis, follow-up and treatment of some ophthalmic pathologies, color vision examination is used to determine the eligibility for certain professions. Color vision is affected by factors, such as genetic structure of the person, characteristics of the eye and some mental processes, which have not been elucidated exactly yet. Therefore, there is no test which can be easily applied and can evaluate in details and “measure” the color vision ability. Screening tests like Ishihara, which are common in Turkey, do not range the exact color vision ability of the people. In health committees of the hospitals, the necessity to determine conditions like “color blindness/dyschromatopsia” with these tests, makes color vision evaluation harder. When supported by some other color vision tests, the Ishihara test becomes more useful in assessing color vision. Including the terminology, the standards for examination and evaluation of color vision can be further improved in Turkey; thus, the examinations for eligibility for occupation and driving license can be more appropriate for the conditions of the country. This review was intended to make proposals for improvement of color vision examinations and practices for eligibility for some occupations. (Turk J Ophthalmol 2011; 41: 35-42)