Starting from Scratch: Building an Independent Opticians You Love with Stuart Humphrey

Who looks after the people looking after everyone else? For World Mental Health Day, Garry Kousoulou speaks with Tammy about postnatal depression, neurodiversity, workplace overwhelm and the loneliness that can exist even in a busy optical practice. Through honest personal experiences, they explore crying at work, bullying, asking for help and the small acts of kindness that can make someone feel heard. A conversation for optometrists, dispensing opticians, practice managers—and anyone who has ever thought, “Is it just me?”

WHAT IF THE WORLD COULD SEE? What if a life could change with a pair of glasses? What if the difference between dependence and independence could fit inside a box? In this episode, Garry Kousoulou meets John, a dispensing optician whose ambition reaches far beyond the walls of his practice: to help people around the world access the glasses they need to see, work and live more independently. His starting point is simple: “They just need spectacles.” For people whose sight loss is caused by an uncorrected prescription, glasses can make an extraordinary difference. Yet getting the right pair depends on where you live, what you can afford and whether someone with the skills and equipment to help is within reach. John asked himself a question: could he rethink the whole system? Not just the glasses. How they are assembled. How they fit. How a prescription is found. And how all of that could reach a community without a conventional optical practice. The result is “Optician in a Box”: a modular spectacle system designed to be assembled locally using interchangeable components and pre-cut lenses. During the conversation, John demonstrates how the pieces fit together, how the system accommodates different facial measurements and how it can correct astigmatism. Then comes the detail that makes Garry pause. “They’re working out at about eleven pounds twenty-five pence.” £11.25 a pair, according to John’s estimate in the interview. A modest figure beside the possibility of someone returning to work, reading more comfortably or regaining a part of their independence. But the glasses are only part of the story. John also demonstrates a prototype device designed to help people find their prescription without electricity. He explains the thinking behind it, the adjustable lenses and his ambition to make vision correction accessible in places where trained professionals and conventional equipment are scarce. Garry’s reaction captures the excitement: “The hairs on the back of my neck stood up.” This is a conversation about invention, but its heart is human. Behind every prescription is a person. A parent who wants to provide for their family. Someone who has travelled for days hoping to receive help. A community where clearer vision could open doors that poor sight has closed. As Garry puts it: “If we can get people’s sight back, we get their independence back.” The episode explores how John’s idea might reach those communities through charities, NGOs, governments and optical practices. He shares a proposed donation model in which practices and their customers could contribute towards glasses for someone else. “Buy one, donate one.” A simple invitation to connect the everyday act of buying glasses with an opportunity to help another person see. There is also a personal story behind this meeting. Garry and John share a history through the optical practice John now runs. Their conversation brings together friendship, professional experience and a shared belief that optics can change lives. John describes the outlook that has driven him: “Tomorrow’s the beginning of the rest of your life.” That belief runs through the episode. After decades in the profession, he is still experimenting, questioning familiar processes and imagining how things could work differently. This is not a claim that glasses can treat every cause of blindness. The discussion focuses on refractive sight loss and the potential of better access to appropriate vision correction. John’s wider ambition depends on turning an invention into a system that communities can use and sustain. But the question is compelling. “Could we change blindness globally?” “I think so.” Watch as Garry explores the invention, the person behind it and the possibilities ahead. Could a box of components become the beginning of something much bigger?

Colour vision deficiency is far more complex than simply being “colour blind”. In this special episode, recorded around Colour Vision Deficiency Awareness Day, Garry Kousoulou is joined by Mark Hickson, Programme Leader for face-to-face teaching at Bradford College and lecturer in ophthalmic dispensing and visual optics. Mark is a qualified dispensing optician with a specialist interest in visual perception, and this conversation explores what colour vision really is, how the brain interprets colour, why colour vision deficiency occurs, and why the optical profession may need to give the subject far more attention. One of the most fascinating ideas discussed is that colour itself is not a physical property in the way most of us imagine. Light has different wavelengths, but the colours we experience are constructed by the brain. Mark explains how cone cells, rod cells and higher visual processing all contribute to the way we perceive the world around us. The episode also looks closely at colour vision deficiency and the genetics behind it. Mark explains why congenital colour vision deficiency is far more common in men, how the X chromosome is involved and why a child with colour vision deficiency may have absolutely no idea that they see the world differently from everybody else. That creates an important challenge for parents, teachers, opticians and schools. A child may not complain that something is wrong because, to them, their vision has always been normal. Instead, clues may appear through behaviour at school, difficulties with colour-coded learning materials or problems distinguishing certain colours. Garry and Mark also discuss the Ishihara colour vision test, one of the most recognisable tests used in eye care. They look at the different types of Ishihara plates, how the test should be used, why lighting and presentation matter and why old or faded testing books may not give reliable results. This leads to a bigger question for the optical profession: are we testing colour vision often enough? The conversation explores whether dispensing opticians and optical assistants could play a greater role in colour vision screening and whether practices should routinely have access to recognised colour vision tests. The discussion then moves into careers. For some occupations, accurate colour discrimination can be important for safety or professional requirements. The episode considers careers such as train driving, aviation, the military, electrical work and even highly specialised jobs such as producing prosthetic eyes. However, colour vision deficiency should not simply be viewed as a limitation. Mark shares the remarkable historical example of people with colour vision deficiency sometimes being able to detect camouflage more effectively because they are less distracted by certain colour patterns. The episode also touches on one of the most famous examples of visual perception: the blue-and-black or white-and-gold dress illusion. Different people can look at exactly the same image and genuinely perceive different colours, demonstrating just how much colour perception depends on the brain rather than simply the eye. This is a fascinating conversation for dispensing opticians, optometrists, optical assistants, students, parents, teachers and anyone interested in how human vision works.

Colour Blindness: What Parents, Teachers & Opticians Need to Know In this episode of The Optician Show, Garry Kousoulou explores one of the most overlooked areas of eye care:colour vision deficiency, also commonly searched for as color vision deficiency or colour blindness. Joined by colour vision experts, this episode looks at why colour vision deficiency can still go undetected in children,what parents should look out for, and why optometrists and opticians need to think beyond simply completing an Ishihara colour vision test. We discuss how colour vision deficiency can affect education, confidence, everyday life and even safety.The conversation also explores the science behind how we see colour, the difference between screening and diagnosis,and why people with colour vision deficiency can become extremely skilled at recognising colours through learning and experience. In this episode: Why colour vision deficiency is still frequently missed What the Ishihara test can and cannot tell us Why an Ishihara test is a screening tool rather than a full diagnosis How colour blindness can affect children in the classroom What parents should do if they suspect their child has colour vision deficiency How teachers can make learning more accessible Why you should never use colour alone to communicate important information The difference between rods, cones and colour perception How people with colour vision deficiency learn to recognise colours Why colour accessibility can also be a workplace and safety issue The role opticians and optometrists can play in improving awareness One of the strongest messages from this conversation is simple:never use colour alone to convey information.Small changes in schools, workplaces and healthcare can make information far more accessible for people with colour vision deficiency. This episode is particularly relevant for opticians, optometrists, dispensing opticians, ophthalmic professionals,teachers, parents and anyone interested in colour vision, colour blindness and accessible design. If you are searching for a color vision deficiency podcast,colour vision deficiency podcast,optometry podcast oroptician podcast,this episode provides a practical and thought-provoking discussion about an area of vision that deserves far more attention. The Optician Show brings together people, ideas and conversations from across optics, optometry and eye care. Keywords:color vision deficiency podcast,colour vision deficiency podcast,optometry podcast,optician podcast,colour blindness,color blindness,Ishihara test,colour vision test,colour blindness in children,optometry,opticians,dispensing optician,eye care podcast,colour vision deficiency education.

The Colour Vision Revolution: How Hungarian Tomatoes Transformed Eye Care Welcome to a revolutionary episode of the podcast that will change how optical professionals approach colour vision deficiency. Joined by Balazs Komolka and Mate Sabo from ColorOn, Garry Kousoulou explores a scientific breakthrough that turns a failed Ishihara test from a clinical dead end into a life-changing opportunity. Colour deficiency affects approximately 1 in 12 men and 1 in 400 women. Despite its prevalence, it remains heavily shrouded in stigma. For decades, the optical industry has lacked an accessible, real-time solution to enhance a patient's colour perception in the testing room. That narrative changes today. The genesis of ColorOn did not start in an optical laboratory, but in the agricultural export market of 1980s Eastern Europe. When East Germany rejected shipments of Hungarian tomato puree for "not being red enough," the Technical University in Budapest was commissioned to create an objective "tomato purimeter" to measure redness. Having successfully mastered red light filtering for agriculture, the research team asked a bold question. "The people and this researcher at Budapest Technical University asked, 'Okay, what do we do next? Because we have this knowledge about red light and red filtering... What can we use this for?' And there was a wild idea. Maybe let's check the human eye." (Mate Sabo) Early human research was flawed because the medical literature incorrectly assumed colour blindness was caused by missing or weak photoreceptors. The Hungarian researchers discovered that in over 99 percent of cases (specifically red-green deficiency), the cones are not missing. Instead, their sensitivity has shifted. Red shifts towards green, and green shifts towards red. This overlap creates a muddy "confusion zone." ColorOn lenses do not cure colour blindness. Because it is impossible to alter the biological sensors without gene therapy, the lenses manipulate the external stimuli before it reaches the eye. They act as highly sophisticated filters that cut out the specific wavelengths causing the confusion zone. When a patient first tries the ColorOn lenses, a crucial biological process must occur. Initially, their entire field of vision will appear tinted. However, within one to two minutes, the brain undergoes chromatic adaptation to achieve "white balance." Once the brain recalibrates and white balance is reached, the Ishihara test is presented again, frequently resulting in highly emotional reactions. "Then the brain starts the adaptation... the white balance comes back again and this is when we can go for a second time Ishihara check... you see the happiness of a child on their faces because it is truly the first experience they see colour differentiation." (Balazs Komolka) Extensive patient surveys revealed that 83 percent of colour-deficient individuals do not want to wear tinted lenses all day. They view colour enhancement as a functional, task-specific tool. ColorOn offers a tiered portfolio (Strong, Mild, Experience, and Sunglasses) with a heavy focus on clip-ons. This allows patients to overlay the technology onto their existing prescription exactly when needed. In practice, the diagnostic procedure takes just 10 to 12 minutes using a patented digital tablet tester. The software maps the patient's specific deficiency and instantly recommends the correct lens, removing all guesswork for the dispensing optician. With European Medical Device Regulation certification secured, ColorOn is preparing for a massive UK launch, spearheaded by appearances at the upcoming 100% Optical event at ExCeL London. We are currently looking for 50 pioneer optical practices in the UK to be the first to introduce this technology. "We are going to find 50 practices once everything is good... to test this, and this is so exciting for those first 50. If you're watching this and you think, 'Well, this is something I want to s