These Color Blind Glasses Got Your Back

It is not uncommon that scientists and engineers around the world have often come up with innovations accidentally only to realize that they could change several people’s lives for the better. You might be thinking about Newton and the famous apple, but there are many more in the row. The accidental invention of color blind glasses has brought smiles to many faces since the first day.

Dr. McPherson, a material scientist created glasses to help doctors protect their eyes during laser surgery. The glasses were designed to absorb and filter a certain amount of light, thus helping surgeons to protect their eyes and clearly distinguish between blood and tissue during the operation. McPherson realized that the phenomenon on which these glasses work can also help people with color blindness. He, along with his two colleagues, Tony Dykes and Andrew Schmeder innovated color blind glasses (Enchroma Glasses) to help around 300 million people worldwide with color blindness.

What are EnChroma Glasses?

EnChroma glasses are a type of eyewear that can improve color vision for people with red-green color blindness. The glasses work by filtering out certain wavelengths of light, which can help people see colors more vividly. These glasses are not a cure for color blindness, but they can help people see colors more clearly.

EnChroma offers a free EnChroma Color Blind Test online to determine whether you have red-green color blindness (Protanopia and Deuteranopia) and at what level. There are three different levels for categorizing the results in the online test: Mild, Moderate, or Strong Protan or Deutan. However, it is always recommended to get a thorough eye test at a professional eye care center to know in detail the type and level of color blindness you might have, if any.

People’s Experience with EnChroma Glasses

EnChroma glasses have helped many people see colors better. Some people have even said that the glasses have changed their lives. One of the most overwhelming moments was captured by the parents of two-color blind brothers.

It is important to note that just like the glasses for farsightedness do not cure the illness but only aid in improving the quality of life, EnChroma glasses do not cure color blindness but only aid in experiencing different colors.

EnChroma Glasses Specifications:

If you are looking for a unique and thoughtful gift for a loved one who has color blindness, consider giving them a pair of EnChroma glasses. This can be a life-changing gift for them – they may be amazed at the beauty of a sunset or the vibrant colors of a flower.

EnChroma has prepared a gift-guide to help you with the process. While it is helpful to know the type of color blindness the recipient has, EnChroma glasses are effective in 80% of gift recipients who have red-green color blindness. EnChroma outdoor glasses are effective in most recipients. Make sure to capture your loved one’s first reaction when they try the glasses. Some of the suggestions for it can be:

• Chose an outside location with proper natural lightening
• Everyone has their own unique experience. It is best to give them some time to adjust to the glasses after putting them on. Typically, it takes about 5-15 minutes before the person can start seeing the colors vividly.
• EnChroma provides different colored balloons with the package – it will be fun identifying the color of each balloon
• Share with others in your network – the internet has the power to change the life for better.

What is Color Blindness?

Color blindness, also known as color vision deficiency, is the inability or decreased ability to see color or to perceive color differences. Color blindness can make some colors appear faded, while others may appear abnormally bright. It may also cause colors to appear in different hues from what they normally would. For example, a blue sky may appear green to someone with a severe case of color blindness. Color blindness is a common vision problem, affecting up to 8% of men and 0.5% of women worldwide.

Why are Men More Likely to Have Color Blindness?

Most color blindness is genetic. This means it is passed down from parents to children. Color blindness is more common in males than females. This is because the genes for color blindness are on the X chromosome. Males have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome. Females have two X chromosomes. So, a female would need to inherit the color blindness gene from both parents to be color blind. This is less likely to happen than a male inheriting the gene from just one parent.

Types of Color Blindness

There are three types of color blindness each resulting from the issues with genes that code for proper cone function in the retina:

1. Monochromatism (Achromatopsia): This is the most severe form of color blindness, where the person can only see shades of gray and cannot perceive any color.

2. Dichromatism (Red-Green-Blue Color blindness): This form of color blindness is where the person is missing one of the three types of cones responsible for color vision. There are three types of dichromacy:

• Protanopia: People with protanopia do not have functional red cone photoreceptor and are unable to perceive any red light.
• Deuteranopia: People with deuteranopia do not have a functional green cone photoreceptor and are unable to perceive any green light.
• Tritanopia: People with tritanopia are unable to perceive blue color.

3. Anomalous Trichromatism: This is the most common type of color blindness, where the person has all three types of cones but one is not functioning properly. This can result in the inability to see certain colors or to see colors as muted or less vivid than they actually are.

There is no cure for color blindness, but special contact lenses and glasses can help some people.