West Virginia is making a thoughtful addition to its state parks by installing special viewers designed for colorblind visitors. These viewers, called “colorblindness viewers,” are a game-changer for people who have difficulty distinguishing certain colors, particularly reds and greens, which are common in natural landscapes.
Full spectrum colorblindness viewers
Imagine visiting a state park and being unable to fully appreciate the vibrant fall foliage or the bright wildflowers dotting the landscape. For those with colorblindness, this has been a reality. But now, thanks to these viewers, everyone can experience the full spectrum of colors that make West Virginia’s parks so breathtaking.
Overlooks
These viewers are strategically placed at scenic overlooks throughout the state parks. This placement ensures that visitors can enjoy the most stunning vistas in all their colorful glory. Whether it’s the warm hues of a sunset, the rich greens of a forest, or the diverse shades of a wildflower meadow, these viewers allow colorblind individuals to see these scenes as most others do.
Access
The installation of these colorblindness viewers is part of a broader effort to make West Virginia’s natural beauty accessible to everyone. It’s a small but significant step toward ensuring that all visitors can have a rich and full experience in West Virginia’s state parks.
For all
This initiative not only enhances the experience for colorblind visitors but also underscores West Virginia’s commitment to making its parks welcoming to everyone. It’s a reminder that the beauty of nature is something everyone should be able to enjoy fully, regardless of visual limitations.
Look for the colorblindness viewers
Next time you visit one of West Virginia’s state parks, keep an eye out for these new colorblindness viewers. Even if you’re not colorblind, it’s worth taking a peek through them to gain a new perspective on the landscapes you love.
How about you?
Have you noticed special improvements or additions that make local and/or state parks more enjoyable? Tell us about them so we can get the word out!
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My father has SEVERE red/green color blindness and I passed it on to my son. I found it hard to believe Enchroma- the manufacturer of these special lenses- has been marketing them for 20 years, as their literature states. I wonder what my ds could have done with art had he not been limited by his condition?
From my research, the glasses only work in full spectrum light. Net, they are useless at night and not very effective if cloudy, etc. Perhaps better than nothing, but not a panacea.
The stem cell therapy will, in my mind, be the cure. They have actually been able to have a truly color BLIND individual, which is extremely rare, start seeing colors within days. This is sigificant because their brain has never interpreted colors before, so it shows dramatic change due to the therapy.
Thank you, Gail! 🙂 Can’t say that I have noticed any Tennessee state park improvements. I did notice that the Commonwealth of Kentucky calls their parks “state” parks and not “commonwealth” parks. Odd, huh? I guess they may be having second thoughts about being a commonwealth instead of a state. 🤔😯 😉 Thanks again, have a great weekend, safe travels, and safe stays! 🙂
Color blind glasses are a scam. Apparently West Virginia is a state that has fallen for it. If your are born without the ability to see colors or certain colors or the diminished capacity to see colors tinted lenses are not going to restore your color vision. You can search youtube for videos of how this doesn’t work and why. I have red/green color deficiency and wish it was possible to correct but alas you can’t see what you can’t see.
I have red/green color deficiency to a degree that if I take the test where a circle of colored dots has a number in it, I only see about three of 25 test samples. A hard red contact lense in my non-dominate eye lets me get to around 20 of 25. Unfortunately I cannot wear hard contact lenses.
The genetic trait is mostly in males and passes to daughters, as carriers but without the deficiency, and then to their male offspring, who will have color vision deficiency.
Very positive stem cell research results are happening that give me hope that my grandson will someday see normal color.