PPRuNe Forums - Colour Vision Deficiency

Those of you who’ve been watching or are affected by CASA’s approach to CVD will be aware that the brief period of enlightenment during which CASA adopted the NZ CAA's Operational Colour Vision Assessment came to an abrupt end with no warning recently, with CASA Avmed deciding it knows better. Out with the OCVA and in with the ACVA.

I made an FOI application to CASA for access to:

Quote:

Internal and external CASA correspondence and CASA records relating to:

(a) the analysis, by CASA staff members or consultants or the CASA Director, of the Operational Colour Vision Assessment implemented by the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority (‘OCVA’)

(b) the decision by CASA to implement the OCVA

(c) the decision by CASA to discard the OCVA

(d) the development of the aviation colour vision assessment test referred to in CASA’s Designated Medical Examiners Handbook (‘ACVA’)

(e) the analysis, by CASA staff members or consultants or the CASA Director, of the differences between the OCVA and AVCA

(f) the qualifications of the people involved in any of the analyses referred to at (a) and (e), and

(g) any conflict of interest of any of the people involved in any of the analyses referred to at (a) and

(e), any of the decisions referred to at (b) and (c) and the development referred to (d).

CASA has refused the request. Here is a link to the refusal letter.

I have applied to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner for review of that decision. My application says:

Quote:

The public interest overrides the reasons given for not granting access.

A substantial portion of the population has a colour vision deficiency. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority's recent decisions on the testing regime for colour vision deficiency affect, profoundly, the interests of pilots and prospective pilots with colour vision deficiency. The CASA decisions have been made without any consultation with and without giving any notice or explanation to people who are trying to make fundamentally important career and related commitments, and all that is thrown into disarray when CASA makes unilateral changes without notice or explanation.

The basis of the decisions should be easily explicable on the basis of the objective operational risk data taken into consideration by those making the decisions, all of which should be recorded. The date range of the request is not very wide. I have already been advised, by CASA, that its searches indicate there are no documents within the scope of the part of the request relating to conflict of interest.

Finally, I was not even given the option to pay for the application to be processed.

I will keep everyone informed of progress.

Meanwhile, I’ve teed up an online discussion with a legend and veteran fighter against the CVD zealots in Avmed: Dr Arthur Pape. If I can master the tech, it will commence at 7pm EST tomorrow (Tuesday 20 June).