As someone who experiences red-green colour-blindness, I understand the academic, day-to-day, and psychological challenges associated with this condition. To promote early diagnosis and support for those affected by Colour Vision Deficiency (CVD), I have collaborated with the Dr. Shivani Bhatt Charitable Foundation (SBCF) in Anand. This foundation works towards health awareness, including female menstrual hygiene and eye check-ups and colour-blindness screening for school children, helping students for medical studies, CPR training etc.
I serve as the Project Head of AIDING COLOURS, a school screening program designed to detect CVD in children. The project is guided by Dr. Jagruti Jadeja, Professor of Ophthalmology at BJ Medical College, Ahmedabad, and Dr. Nishant Patel, Ophthalmologist at Nishant Eye Hospital and Retina Care Centre in Anand. Our team, consisting of trained optometrists and volunteers, conducts preliminary assessments using the standard Ishihara Kit and refers positive cases to ophthalmologists for further evaluation.
To date, we have successfully screened approximately 5,000 students from 16 government schools in the Anand district, identifying 51 cases of mild to severe CVD. This screening program is the first of its kind for Grade 1-12 students in Gujarat.
In addition to the screening process, I have developed educational posters and brochures on colour-blindness awareness in both English and the native language, to raise awareness in the community. My team and I also actively participate in counselling sessions for children diagnosed with CVD and their parents, providing them with the knowledge and support they need to manage the condition and understand its impact on academics and daily life.
