Virginia State Parks pioneers nature inclusivity by becoming the first park system in the US to install EnChroma-adapted viewfinders for colourblind guests. Olivia Palamountain reports
Virginia State Parks is ensuring colourblind visitors can enjoy nature to its fullest, with the installation of specialist scenic viewers at each of its 43 locations.
The viewfinders, made by SeeCoast Manufacturing, are equipped with special lenses from EnChroma designed to help those with red-green Colour Vision Deficiency (CVD) experience an expanded range of visible colour.
The patented lenses are engineered with special optical filters that help people with red-green colour blindness see an expanded range of visible colour.
While people with normal colour vision see more than one million shades of colour, those with red-green CVD are estimated to see about 10% of hues and shades.
Instead, colours containing red and green can appear dull, washed out and indistinguishable.
“This initiative underscores Virginia’s commitment to enhancing outdoor experiences for all visitors and sets a new standard for state parks nationwide,” says Matt Wells, director of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, which manages Virginia State Parks. “We’re proud to play a role in opening up a world of vibrant colour for colourblind individuals to experience nature like never before.”
The installation of EnChroma-adapted viewfinders at Virginia State Parks began in 2023 with Natural Tunnel State Park, an initiative that was led by Chief Ranger Ethan Howes who is colourblind.
The remaining 42 locations received their viewfinders in 2024.
The purchase of the viewfinders was funded by donations received through the Round-Up for Parks Program, allowing visitors to donate to Virginia State Parks when making a purchase online or at a park.
Since 2018, visitors have donated nearly US$300,000, which has been invested in improving offerings and activities.
“Seeing the world in vibrant colour is a gift many of us take for granted,” says Virginia State Parks director Dr. Melissa Baker. “The EnChroma viewfinders help us create a one-of-a-kind experience for our red-green colourblind visitors and allow them to better enjoy the breathtaking beauty of our state parks.”
In honour of the launch of this colour accessibility initiative on July 26, six local red-green colourblind people traveled to Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield, Virginia, to try the EnChroma viewfinder and share their perspectives on the experience.
The group comprised a medical dispatcher, a carpenter, a policy analyst, personal trainer, college student and a permit specialist.
“Virginia gives visitors unrivalled access to beautiful forests, breathtaking mountain views, stunning rivers and the renowned colourful leaves in Fall,” says Erik Ritchie, CEO of EnChroma.
“Virginia is truly for lovers of the outdoors but it’s also for lovers of colour too. That’s why we applaud Virginia State Parks for working with EnChroma to make its colourful beauty more accessible to those who are red-green colour blind.”
One in 12 men (eight per cent) and one in 200 women (0.5 per cent) are colourblind. In the US alone, 13 million people are colourblind and 350 million worldwide.
Virginia State Parks joins over 400 organisations worldwide in supporting colourblind guests by installing the SeeCoast viewfinders with EnChroma lenses or loaning EnChroma glasses. This includes nearly 100 state and national parks across 25 states.