EnChroma, Inc. – creators of patented eyewear for color blindness – today announced that its assistive lens technology will be available in scenic viewers manufactured by SeeCoast Manufacturing Company. EnChroma’s lens technology will enable people with red-green color blindness to better enjoy the beauty of outdoor color at state parks, scenic overlooks, wildlife refuges and other locations where the viewers for the color blind are installed.
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EnChroma lens technology for color blindness will be available in scenic viewers manufactured by SeeCoast Manufacturing Company; enabling people with color blindness to better enjoy the beauty of outdoor color at state parks, scenic overlooks and other locations. (Photo: Business Wire)
The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and Tennessee State Parks were the first to introduce SeeCoast viewers powered by EnChroma lens technology to enable color blind visitors to see the changing colors in Fall foliage at 12 parks in 2017 and 2018. To enable the integration of its technology with scenic viewers, EnChroma modified its lens format and filter design to deliver optimal performance in combination with the high-power zoom optics in SeeCoast viewers. This partnership makes SeeCoast viewers powered by EnChroma available to other park systems and locations worldwide and is offered as a retrofit color blind option for existing SeeCoast viewers.
“The human eye evolved to see color in the natural world, and there is no better place than the great outdoors to demonstrate the impact of the EnChroma lens technology,” said Andrew Schmeder, Co-founder and CEO of EnChroma. “We are proud to work with SeeCoast, a leading maker of viewers that is well-known by state and national park systems in particular, to expand access to more colorful experiences for those with color vision deficiency.”
Color blindness affects an estimated 350 million people worldwide; 13 million in the US. While people with normal color vision see over one million shades of colors, those with red-green color vision deficiency only see 2%-10%, or roughly 20,000 to 100,000 colors and hues. People with color vision deficiency can struggle to see the red in a flower, the green of a lush meadow or the explosion of colors in the changing leaves in Fall. To view images depicting how people with color vision deficiency see colors, click here.
“For 60 years we’ve been in the business of helping people appreciate scenic places around the world, never realizing how many were unable to enjoy these experiences the way the rest of us do,” said Mrs. Geraldine L. Cain, Owner and President of SeeCoast Manufacturing Company. “We’re excited to team with EnChroma on viewers that will unlock the colors of nature for millions of people with color vision deficiency. These viewers will help venues attract color blind guests and their families and make their visits more enjoyable and memorable.”
Backed by science, EnChroma lenses are uniquely engineered using high-precision optical filters that selectively remove the wavelengths of light where excessive overlap between red and green cone cells in the eye is at its maximum. The removal of these overlapping wavelengths enables people with color blindness to see a broader range of color and experience more vivid and distinct color.
Advance interest in the color blind viewers has been high, with numerous parks and organizations waiting patiently for months to place their orders. Organizations that need to place their order prior to the end of the fiscal year can do so now and expect delivery in the first quarter of 2020. The purchase of a color blind viewer powered by EnChroma activates special rates for organizations to purchase EnChroma glasses for guests to borrow for hikes, tours and onsite exhibits. To order viewers, and learn more about EnChroma eyewear, please email accessiblity@enchroma.com.
EnChroma continues to promote “color accessibility” through its EnChroma Color Accessibility Program. The program is helping scores of public venues, schools, state parks, libraries, museums and other organizations – in the US and abroad – purchase and loan EnChroma glasses to color blind guests and students. To learn more about the program contact accessiblity@enchroma.com.
About SeeCoast Manufacturing Company
Started in 1960, SeeCoast Manufacturing Company is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of American-made coin and non-coin operated telescopes and binoculars that both sells and concessions its own equipment. Their Telescopes and Binoculars are designed to spend years outdoors subjected to adverse weather and public use and can last indefinitely with minimal maintenance. SeeCoast’s viewers can be found in every U.S. state and in over 80 countries throughout the world. To learn more visit seecoast.com, call (251) 928-8882 or email seecoast@seecoast.com.
About EnChroma
Based in Berkeley, California, EnChroma makes cutting-edge lens technology and eyewear for color blindness. Established in 2010 by a Ph.D. glass scientist and a mathematician, EnChroma’s revolutionary glasses combine the latest in color perception neuroscience and lens innovation to improve the lives of people with color vision deficiency around the world. EnChroma received a SBIR grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and earned the 2016 Tibbetts Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration in recognition of the firm’s innovative impact on the human experience through technology. For more information call 510-497-0048 or visit EnChroma.com.
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Contacts:
Director of Public Relations and Partnerships
EnChroma
530.908.9225
kent@enchroma.com
