EnChroma glasses bring full color vision to colorblind museum visitors

EnChroma, a US-based company specializing in advanced lens technology, has developed a new viewer that enables people with color blindness to perceive the full spectrum of colors. The device uses optical filters that remove wavelengths where red and green cones overlap excessively, correcting trichromatic perception. In December 2019, the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver hosted an event where colorblind individuals experienced artworks in full color for the first time. EnChroma has partnered with several museums including the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Arkansas, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, and the Centraal Museum in Utrecht (the only European location). Katrina Stacy, curator at the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, stated that the glasses share O'Keeffe's hope of conveying the world's grandeur to everyone. Color blindness, first analyzed by scientist John Dalton in 1974, affects an estimated 300 million people worldwide (7-8% of males, 0.4-0.5% of females). EnChroma offers discounted glasses to museums, science centers, libraries, and schools, with prices ranging from $250 to $450. The MCA Denver received four donated pairs, including two for children. Colorblind individuals are not yet covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act.