[nfbwatlk] eye exams for doctors

[Frederick Driver]

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Forwarded message

Date: Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:34:49 -0700 (PDT)
From: Frederick Driver <wt329 at victoria.tc.ca>
To: info at cmq.org
Subject: eye exams

TO:  College des medecins du Quebec

RE:  newspaper article
"Elderly Quebec doctors may face mandatory eye exams"
http://www.vancouversun.com/Elderly+Quebec+doctors+face+mandatory+exams/6376298/story.html

cc:  Canadian Federation of the Blind; National Federation of the Blind


Obviously, sighted doctors need good vision.  And it seems reasonable to
test for adequate vision in sighted doctors when they get to an age at
which declining vision is common.  This may well save lives, and is common
sense.

However, there are also blind doctors, who duly qualified, without vision,
and who practice without vision.  It would be absurd to say, when they
reach a certain age, they are disqualified from practicing because they
can't pass an eye exam.

The doctor interviewed in the article referred to airline pilots and car
drivers being required to pass eye exams, as a justification for requiring
doctors to do so.  Underlying that very broad and unconditional statement
is the assumption that, without vision, one cannot be a doctor.  That
assumption is incorrect.
eg. Dr. Mark Stracks, Dr. Tim Cordes, Dr. Jacob Bolotin, etc.
See:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7318398/ns/health-health_care/t/blind-medical-student-earns-md/
and
http://nfb.org/Images/nfb/Publications/bm/bm08/bm0801/bm080106.htm
for example.

Test sighted doctors for vision, certainly. But don't assume a blind
person can't be a doctor, and don't disqualify duly qualified blind
doctors because they can't pass an eye exam.

Thank you for your consideration.

Frederick Driver,
Victoria