9. Using tints to improve driver safety for the colourblind & Kentucky's Achromat's
9. Using tints to improve driver safety for the colourblind & Kentucky's Achromat's
A topic close to my heart is that of using tints to improve functional vision for people with colour deficiency or colour blindness. This is a topic that needs considerable and disability appropriate research. Currently there are studies into the effect of using sunglasses on standard drivers without a colour deficiency recommending not using certain colour lenses and that being put into standards/ law. Further, there are jurisdictions that add into law that being colourblind will prohibit someone from driving. Some have after prompting changed to that stating the driver must be able to compensate. I am only aware of studies that say having a colour deficiency does not increase your risk of adverse driving events. But prejudice continues.
As an Achromat my parents were told by eye doctors not to give tints and that continue until in our teens when dad would buy me as dark as he could find service station sunglasses and then I was old enough to buy our own sunglasses. Yet overseas I later discovered it is common practice for Achromats to be prescribed red and/or amber tinted sunglasses and/or tinted contact lenses. In my 20s I found a pair of Bolle Irex 100 sunglasses in a phone booth. Putting them on changed my life, I was able to see things I did not previous including more contrast and definition. Since then, I take a pair to my optometrist to get them to make the same colour tint sometimes double dark or triple dark in a frame of my choice. Without these I would not be able to cycle. It was devastating for me and my community and other colourblind people when Australia banned the import into Australia of the Bolle Irex 100 glasses and without consultation with the disability community. Today I still hear stories in Australia of Achromats being told the same wrong advice which is an injustice and product of lack of low vision services.
Through the Achromatopsia Support Network (ASN) I found out about red tints from NOIR medical which without the #90 I would not be able to drive as the colour red is not in my usual spectrum of light. Check out my bioptic driving blog to see more about my adaption history:
https://australianbiopticdriver.blogspot.com/2019/01/address-disability-barriers-maximising.html
…and check out Suzanne’s Germano’s blog who invented the technique which is now used by Ocutech for Achromats who order their bioptic:
http://suzannegermano.blogspot.com/2015/05/one-light-two-light-red-light-green.html
Today it was a privilege to meet in person Brenda Eadens, Certified Driving Rehabilitation Specialists and Kentucky’s bioptic driving program trainer. Brenda and I have corresponded on the ASN for years. She brought with her bags and boxes of tinted glasses and bioptics including fit overs, slip ins, flip ups, sunglasses.
From places like NOIR and showed me the Enchroma complete set I’ve always wanted to try but know they don’t work for complete Acrhomats like me, they were still good for contrast.
Brenda buys red lens glasses wherever and whenever she sees and finds them! Including varieties from ebay and just walking into shops.
One of the reasons Brenda is so good as a rehabilitation specialist in supporting colour blind people to drive is because in Kentucky there is a large cohort of people living with Achromatopsia. Surprisingly of the 350 bioptic drivers in their state about 80 are Achromats! Yet in the general population the prevalence is 1:30,000.
Clients can try tints/ fun filters when driving in a dual brake car to see if the client can improve their driving perception to better see traffic lights, regulatory signs, road markings and in varying light levels and conditions to make sure the client has what they need. This might mean different colours for different light conditions. Brenda can adapt glasses and/or a fit over to cut out glare and/or have different colours in each eye.
While sitting in front of a red traffic light Brenda will first have the person pick out their favourite red from all the reds. Around 95% of the time that is the NOIR filter 90. The client is then asked look at all the other tint/ sun filter colours for the green traffic light. After the client picks what works for them, Brenda will pop out the right lens of each sun filter and replace it with the opposite one. Then the client is asked to try on each pair of glasses to find out what side the filter 90 (or whatever red it is) should be on. Then I give them that pair and ask them to wear them whenever they go outside. This gives the client opportunity to learn to overcome perceptual rivalry which not all clients will be able to resolve. As discussed in my blog, myself and Susanne use a different method to house the filter 90 in the carrier lens and the brown/ amber as a scope cap.
I was delighted to trial this other technique standing in a parking lot with the usual NOIR 90 in my dominant eye and a green in my other eye. At first this created a perceptual rivalry, which meant the dominant eye with the red took over the full 110 degrees of my visual field cutting out the green so when the traffic lights changed to green I could not see them even though the less dominant eye had the green lens. I slowly and slightly squinted the eye lids of my dominant eye and the green light slowly appeared increasingly brighter until in full view whilst being able to see through both eyes. But after viewing for a while I was to accommodate but it will take me some time to trial in various settings. As the green tint is not made anymore and Brenda cannot order them, she gave them to me so I was delighted to practice using them as a passenger on the way home spotting changes in my perception of road signs.
I would love to see to more research into the use of coloured tints for everyday activities to improve functional vision and for driving. So if you are part of that, then please do contact Brenda.
I loved these small blind spot mirrors too Brenda recommends. They fit on the usual side mirror and although small give a great angle and view of the blind spot. I love my Hercules half moons but might consider these later.
In this photo you can also see the black felt on the dashboard. Another easy thing that can be done to remove glare from the dash and cheap and easy to find and cut yourself instead of buying car model specific carpet dash matt.
Another fantastic adaption Brenda has realised is having a phone App company develop a new version of their GPS speedo with very large so a person with low vision can Velcro/ attach their photo where the car’s speedo is. I love this! So be sure to ask her for a link if you want to trial the App.
Two other devices Brenda uses in her car and are allowed in Kentucky were a plug in large screen GPS system and wireless reversing camera! I forgot to photos of these. They would be great additions to older cars.
Contact details for Brenda are on the ADED website here:
https://www.aded.net/members/?id=25550238
You can read about Kentucky’s bioptic driving program here:
https://kcc.ky.gov/Vocational-Rehabilitation/Blind-Services/Pages/Bioptic-Driving-Program.aspx
Kentucky Bioptic Laws
Bioptics are permitted for driving and to pass the licensure test.
- Visual Acuity: Must have 20/200 or better with corrective lenses, in the better eye to be accepted in a certified driver training program. Visual acuity through the bioptic telescope of 20/60.
- Visual Field: 120 degrees horizontally and 80 degrees vertically in the same eye
- Other restrictions may apply, but restrictions may be removed if the licensed driver drives for 36 months without any at-fault accidents and without any license suspensions.
- Behind-the wheel driving rehabilitation is required.
- The driver must successfully complete additional evaluation and training specifically designed for night driving from a certified driver training program. Night driving may be granted after night driving rehabilitation evaluation passed.
- Program administered with Department of the Blind.
Last Reviewed Feb. 2022
http://www.biopticdrivingusa.com/bioptic-driving-laws-kentucky/
To learn about the reasons for this blog, go to my Churchill Trust Australia webpage to read about the fellowship I was awarded being "The NRMA - ACT Road Safety Trust Churchill Fellowship to identify success factors and barriers for low vision and telescopic glasses driving" The page is here: https://www.churchilltrust.com.au/fellow/belinda-oconnor-act-2022/
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