RICHMOND, Va. & BERKELEY, Calif.– Natural Tunnel State Park is the first organization in the state of Virginia to offer an EnChroma viewfinder for colorblind people. The viewfinder, made by SeeCoast Manufacturing, is equipped with special lenses from EnChroma designed to help those with red-green Color Vision Deficiency (CVD) experience colors.
Chief Ranger of Visitor Experience Ethan Howes, who is colorblind, spearheaded the initiative to purchase the viewer. It was installed recently at the park’s gazebo, which overlooks Rye Cove and provides a stunning 360-degree view.
“Natural Tunnel State Park is proud to be the first location in Virginia to offer accommodations for red-green colorblind guests,” said Howes. “This viewer will allow park visitors with red-green colorblindness to more fully experience the splendors nature has to offer. Being colorblind, I am looking forward to seeing the colorful fall foliage this year.”
Colorblindness affects one in 12 men and one in 200 women: 350 million people worldwide, 13 million in the U.S. and roughly 365,500 in Virginia. While people with normal color vision see over one million shades of color, those CVD only see an estimated 10% of hues and shades. Common color confusions include green appearing yellow, tan or gray; pink looking gray; purple like blue; and red viewed as brown.
The cutting-edge EnChroma technology — in use at nearly 40 state and national park locations in 16 states — is available at Natural Tunnel State Park year-round. The experience of looking through the viewfinders for a person who is colorblind can vary. Typically, they see a broader array and greater vibrancy of colors immediately or within seconds. Some visitors have a more dramatic experience, depending on the severity of their CVD.
“Natural Tunnel State Park bursts with colorful foliage that a sizable percent of the population cannot appreciate because they’re color vision deficient,” said Erik Ritchie, CEO of EnChroma. “We applaud the park for being a leader in promoting accessibility to this wonderful, color experience for color blind visitors, and hope their example will inspire other parks in Virginia, and the nation, to follow suit.”
EnChroma is the lead advocate for “color accessibility” through its EnChroma Color Accessibility Program™. The program helps public venues such as schools, parks, libraries, museums, tourism bureaus, resorts and other organizations purchase EnChroma viewfinders and glasses for colorblindness to help students and guests better understand schoolwork that involves color, and make colorful exhibits, attractions and experiences more accessible to the colorblind. Through the program, EnChroma donates a pair of glasses for each pair an organization buys to loan to the public or to students. State and federal parks in sixteen states, spanning nearly 40 locations, already partner with EnChroma to make visits by color blind guests more ‘color accessible’ and memorable.
