CAFE supports Colour Blind Awareness Day 2017                                          

CAFE is delighted to offer our support on Colour Blind Awareness Day 2017, aiming to raise wider awareness and kick the stigma (#kickthestigma) around colour blindness.

Colour blindness is one of the most common forms of disability. Statistically one in 12 men and one in 200 women will be colourblind.

In conjunction with Colour Blind Awareness (CBA) and UEFA, The English FA has taken the lead in addressing the issue on behalf of the game. It has published comprehensive guidance notes to help ensure those in leadership roles do not make decisions which adversely affect colourblind people. For example, when selecting colours for playing kits, training equipment, signage and marketing materials, such as websites and posters.

Kathryn Albany-Ward, the founder of Colour Blind Awareness, says: “Young colourblind people will understandably be put off the game if they can’t follow instructions in training or identify their teammates.”

Peter Gilliéron, Chairman of the UEFA Fair Play and Social Responsibility Committee is fully behind The FA’s push to create awareness of the issue and ensure no-one is excluded from enjoying the greatest global game: “Addressing the problem of colour blindness in football is long overdue. UEFA fully supports The FA’s work in this area. We intend to use its blueprint to advise the other 54 UEFA member associations on this important issue.”

Among the professional players who are colourblind is Matt Holland, who reveals: “In one particular match when we were in red and the opposition were in dark green I couldn't tell the colours apart. I had to really concentrate by looking at socks because they were easier for me to distinguish. There was nothing else I could do.”

Lars Lagerbäck, the current coach of the Norway men's national football team, is also colourblind. To hear his thoughts and experiences of around colour blindness in football, please view the below video interview.

To find out more, please read The FA’s guidance notes on colour blindness here. For ways you can help maximise awareness, please visit the Colour Blind Awareness website: www.colourblindawareness.org.

CAFE has also published guidance on colour blindness, in partnership with Colour Blind Awareness, which can be downloaded here.

Published 06/09/2017