Media release from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources:
Georgia’s State Parks continue to enhance accessibility in new and innovative ways, with the latest addition being EnChroma colorblind glasses at three of its most popular destinations: Cloudland Canyon, Sweetwater Creek and Skidaway Island state parks. Just in time to capture late fall foliage, visitors with red-green color vision deficiencies (colorblindness) can better experience vibrant autumn hues for the first time.
Colorblindness affects approximately 1 in 12 men (8%) and 1 in 200 women (.5%), an estimated 480,250 people in Georgia, and 350 million people worldwide. Among the 14.3 million annual visitors to Georgia State Parks last year, an estimated 607,000 were color blind.
As part of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Outdoors Beyond Barriers initiative making parks more accessible, the EnChroma glasses allow those with red-green deficiencies to enjoy stunning landscapes as they’ve never seen them before. The glasses may be reserved free of charge on GaStateParks.org/accessibility. Locations include:
- Cloudland Canyon State Park, Dade County: One of Georgia’s largest state parks, Cloudland Canyon is known for its dramatic overlooks, sandstone cliffs and waterfalls. This northwest Georgia park is a prime destination for leaf-peepers. GaStateParks.org/CloudlandCanyon
- Sweetwater Creek State Park, Douglas County: Just west of Atlanta, Sweetwater Creek offers outstanding hiking trails with fall foliage on display through mid-November. GaStateParks.org/SweetwaterCreek
- Skidaway Island State Park, Chatham County: Minutes from Savannah, Skidaway Island features beautiful low-country scenery, Spanish moss-draped live oaks and tidal marshes. GaStateParks.org/SkidawayIsland
Additionally, Amicalola Falls State Park in Dawson County has two Enchroma-adapted SeeCoast viewers installed at the base of its namesake waterfall – the tallest cascade in the Southeast.
People with normal color vision can see more than one million hues and shades, but for the red-green colorblind, only 10% of these colors are visible, and many appear muted and indistinguishable. To them, purple looks blue, red seems brown, and green and yellow can look similar. Many people who use the glasses for the first time are quite surprised by the more vibrant spectrum they can see. State park rangers encourage visitors to share their reactions on social media and tag #GaStateParks.
The DNR’s Outdoor Beyond Barriers program aims to ensure that all visitors, regardless of ability, can enjoy outdoor recreation and Georgia’s natural beauty. It includes all-terrain wheelchairs at 20 state parks, plus accessible campsites, fishing docks, kayak launches, cottages, yurts and more. Learn more at GaStateParks.org/Accessibility
About EnChroma Glasses
The EnChroma Color Accessibility Program™assists more than 400 organizations, including state and national parks, museums and schools, in making environments more accessible to the colorblind. EnChroma glasses are engineered with optical filters that help individuals with red-green color blindness see a broader range of enhanced colors. Results and reaction times vary, but many users report seeing colors in a more vivid way for the first time. Learn more at enchroma.com/pages/media-kit.
