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You’ve likely already seen a video or two featuring glasses that help the colorblind see in color. Like this one:
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But, the Enchroma brand that made this particular dream become a reality has come a long way since it first formed in 2010.
When videos first began surfacing online a couple of years ago, the online world watched as adults were able to see in color for the first time. But Enchroma has since branched out. They now make glasses for children. They offer a custom fit lenses-to-frame option. And they even have their products available on Amazon.
How do Enchroma lenses work? Donald McPherson, Ph.D., one of the co-founders of the brand, told Forbes, “In the simplest explanation, Enchroma’s glasses work by reestablishing the correct balance between signals from the three photopigments in the eye of the color deficient. The eyewear does this by removing small slices of light from the visible spectra. At the cortical level, the neural machinery is intact and perfectly functioning in the color blind, so once the correct ratios entering the eye are reestablished, the neural mechanisms excite and the correct color can be seen and perceived,” he told the publication.
While these glasses are temporarily allowing the colorblind to see in color, it’s important to note that this is not a cure for colorblindness.
Still, they make a world of difference for those who have tried them and, for those who are interested in trying them, Enchroma frames range from $269 for a kids’ pair all the way to $429 for adults.
Due to the somewhat hefty price tag, the Forbes article dubs these a “luxury item,” but I think the people who get to see color for the first time might beg to differ.
One thing that never gets old is watching first-time Enchroma wearers try their glasses on. Their perspective on the world changes, and it’s a pretty special thing to see. The little boy in this video, for example, has overwhelmed the nearly 7,000 folks who have watched the video:
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Folks have sounded off in the comments section, writing things such as, “I’m crying,” and “That was so beautiful.”
Enchroma’s done a beautiful thing for these people, indeed.