Written evidence from Marie Difolco (SEN 97)

Education Committee

Solving the SEND Crisis

My name is Marie Difolco I have volunteered for the Colour Blind Awareness organisation for over 10 years, and I am Author of the newly published book: Supporting Colour Blindness in Education and beyond – published by Routledge.

My MP is Liz Twist who has been very helpful and supportive of this cause to date.

In brief:

There are around 450,000 children with Colour Blindness (Colour Vision Deficiency) right now in our education system in the U.K. However, most schools cannot identify many of their children with this SEND because screening was removed in 2009 leaving them to struggle in silence. It is a fact that 80% of children starting secondary school have never been screened for Colour Blindness despite 75% of them having had an NHS eye test. Opticians in England often don’t screen for it either unless asked – meaning hundreds of thousands of children with this common SEND are slipping through the net. Research proves if Colour Blindness is not detected early and not supported properly it will create a substantial barrier to learning across the curriculum including in sport. It also affects quality of life and safety. In addition, teachers do not receive training in how to support it or spot the signs and it doesn’t usually get a mention on any PGCE course despite affecting one child in every average co-ed class of 30.

Reinstating screening for Colour Blindness and training teachers is urgently required. I am happy to assist the government to roll out a programme to do this. Screening can be added back in to the NHS eye tests offered as part of the healthy child screening programme quite easily and training could take the form of sending a copy of my (not for profit) book to all SENDco’s in the UK along with a webinar that could easily be developed. Colour Blind children are often labelled as having other issues so screening at an early age will help avoid this.

Furthermore, because it is a condition affecting more boys that girls (1 in 12 boys v 1 in 200 girls) it means they are persistently placed in a position of in-direct sex discrimination due to the way colour is used in many common teaching practices. Colour must be accessible wherever it is used, or it risks disadvantaging those that live with it. Discrimination has even been found on public exam papers – which ultimately pulls grades down.

Unfortunately, the 2010 equality act is not protecting anyone with this condition because the guidance contains an error of fact. This must also be corrected quickly.

I would appreciate this inquiry addressing the need to urgently support children with this SEND.

January 2025