Colour blindness: A hindrance for an EE education and related jobs?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the implications of red-green color blindness for students pursuing a degree in Electrical Engineering (EE) and potential impacts on their future careers. Participants explore concerns about academic challenges and job requirements related to color perception in engineering tasks.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses concern about potential problems in university and job settings due to their color blindness, particularly regarding safety requirements in engineering roles.
  • Another participant, an experienced EE, shares their personal experience of having red-green color blindness and states it has not hindered their career, emphasizing that technicians typically handle circuit assembly.
  • Some participants suggest avoiding discrete circuit assembly and color display technology, noting that color-coded resistors are becoming less common.
  • It is mentioned that in laboratory settings, using a multimeter to read resistor values can mitigate issues related to color blindness.
  • Participants note that surface mount technology (SMT) components are often not color-coded, which may alleviate concerns for colorblind individuals.
  • One participant humorously remarks that fundamental equations like V=IR remain unaffected by color perception.
  • A participant shares that a senior designer in their group is colorblind and only occasionally asks for clarification on presentations, indicating minimal impact on work performance.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that color blindness should not be a significant hindrance in pursuing an EE education or career, though some express varying degrees of concern about specific tasks or environments.

Contextual Notes

Some participants highlight the evolving nature of engineering practices, such as the decreasing reliance on color-coded components, which may influence the relevance of color perception in future roles.

Who May Find This Useful

Students considering a degree in Electrical Engineering, individuals with color blindness exploring career options in STEM fields, and educators in engineering programs.

Copernicus
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Hello

I am going to study Electrical Engineering this coming semester and i just wanted to make sure that i don't get any problems due to my minor red-green colour blindness.
I have no problem distinguishing between resistor codes but i normally flunk tests for colour blindness. I rarely have any problems with it and its mostly evident when i test for it.

I just wanted to know if I would have any problem at the University or later in life when looking for jobs. Does anyone know if companies test Electrical Engineers for colour blindness due to some safety requirements or the like.

I know this has already been answered partially in another thread: https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=386898&highlight=colour+blind

I just wanted to get some extra input as the deadline for admission is soon approaching and i want to make sure that i make the right choice :)
 
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Don't worry about it. I am an EE in industry and also have red-green color blindness. I usually cannot read resistor codes as I cannot distinguish the colors. When circuits are built in industry, the EE typically designs, and the technician assembles the circuit (a good tech is better than almost any EE at actually assembling a board!). I earned a PhD in EE and have been in industry for 10+ years, and the color blindness has had no impact on my career. Good luck!
jason
 
Steer clear of discrete circuit assembly and fault finding, along with colour display technology and no one will ever notice. Colour coded resistors are less and less common these days and, if you go for 'systems' rather than 'circuits', you can avoid them.
 
In labs quite often you'll need to set up circuits, not being able to read the colour codes will make this a bit more difficult, but in all honesty most people just use a multimeter to read the value of the resistor.
Might be handy for you to go get one. (having one is useful as it always seems the our labs need to record 1 more value than we have meters at the bench lol)
 
SMT stuff isn't even color coded. And the majority of manufactured items are SMT.
 
I'll join the " don't worry about it " chorus.

Surface mount devices (if marked at all) have a tiny number on top.
Mil resistor values are printed with digits.
Many mil capacitors bear a number that requires you to use a lookup table to find value

At my age i need a stereo microscope just to see today's parts, let alone identify them.
 
You are fine.

V=IR in any color.
 
Thanks guys, looking forward to first semester!
 
I'm an IC designer. One of the senior designers in my group is colorblind. The only affect it has on his work is once it a while he'll ask which curve is which during a powerpoint presentation he is attending. Doesn't slow him down a bit. Don't worry about it.
 

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