Graduates with slight colour vision deficiencies could soon be able to apply for previously unattainable careers, thanks to a new test.
Candidates applying for jobs with the railways and the fire service often fail to make it through the process following tough tests relating to degrees of colour blindness.
But research by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has led to the development of a new eye test which offers a more detailed and accurate assessment of a person's vision.
Dr Sally Evans, chief medical officer at the CAA, said: "If the assessment methods and limits used in this study were applied as minimum requirements for professional flight crew, 35% of colour-deficient applicants would be eligible for medical certification as a professional pilot.
"The CAA intends to promote this research and the test internationally in the hope that it is incorporated into worldwide medical standards."
Optics and visual science professor John Barbur, of City University, London, who led the research, added that the test could have significant implications across occupational environments.
It is hoped that the research, co-sponsored by America's Federal Aviation Administration, will also help prevent vision loss by detecting eye diseases early on.
