Park features color blind viewers

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Preservation Parks of Delaware County and EnChroma — creators of glasses and viewers for color blindness — announced Tuesday the installation of a new colorblind viewer at Deer Haven Park, 4183 Liberty Road, Delaware. It’s the first of its kind in Ohio.

The collaboration will improve the experience for colorblind visitors. Guests who are red-green colorblind may visit the viewer for color blindness along the Tree Swallow Trail to experience the vibrant autumn color for the first time.

“We hope to make visits to Deer Haven more memorable for our colorblind guests and give them a ‘wow’ experience that they can return to throughout the year. People who have never enjoyed fall color can experience the natural beauty they haven’t experienced before,” said Casey Smith, park naturalist at Preservation Parks.

Visitors with color vision deficiency are encouraged to visit again in the spring to experience seasonal wildflower color.

“This viewer changes the visitor experience for the better. It’s reassuring to be able to provide this experience to someone who has never seen color with the clarity that this viewer provides, and we welcome visitors to get excited to see fall color for the first time,” said Tom Curtin, executive director of Preservation Parks.

One in 12 men (8%) and one in 200 women (.5%) are color vision deficient; an estimated 13 million in the United States and 350 million worldwide. While people with typical color vision see over one million shades of color, those with colorblindness only see an estimated 10% of hues and shades. As a result, colors can appear dull, indistinct, and difficult to discern.

According to EnChroma, color blindness impacts the eyes’ photoreceptors — or cells in the retina that respond to light and tell the brain what colors to see — by causing an overlap that makes them unable to distinguish shades such as red and green. The EnChroma lenses force more of a separation between the red and green overlap, so the photoreceptors get a more accurate ratio of light, and the viewer sees a broader spectrum of color.

“The mission of EnChroma is enable those with color vision deficiencies access more of life’s colorful experiences,” said Erik Ritchie, CEO of EnChroma. “We are excited to collaborate with Preservation Parks to make fall colors accessible to those with color blindness.”

Preservation Parks is committed to preserving Delaware County’s natural areas, which are home to thousands of native plant and animal species and are special places for people. The parks allow visitors to experience an intimacy with nature that is unique from other parks in the area, inserting quietude and harmony into a busy world, and providing unexpected moments of discovery and connection.

Pictured are the new EnChroma color blind viewers at Deer Haven Park, 4183 Liberty Road in Delaware.
https://www.delgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2022/10/web1_Color-viewer-2.jpgPictured are the new EnChroma color blind viewers at Deer Haven Park, 4183 Liberty Road in Delaware. Joshua Keeran | The Gazette

Submitted story

Submitted by Preservation Parks of Delaware County.

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