EnChroma launches glasses for the colour blind in Australia

EnChroma, Inc. – creators of glasses for colour blindness – today announced its expansion to Australia. Colour blindness affects one in 12 men (8%) and one in 200 women (.5%); 350 million people worldwide, and more than a million in Australia. While people with normal colour vision see over one million shades of colour, those with colour vision deficiency (CVD) only see an estimated 10% of hues and shades. Common colour confusions include green and yellow, gray and pink, purple and blue, and red can appear brown.

EnChroma’s patented lens technology is engineered with special optical filters to help people with colour blindness see an expanded range of colours and see them more vibrantly, clearly and distinctly. Recent studies by world-renowned colour vision scientists at the University of California, Davis and France’s INSERM Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, and the University of the Incarnate Word, demonstrated the effectiveness of EnChroma glasses.

The Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney is the first Australian organization to offer the glasses to the public. Museum guests who are red-green colour blind can borrow EnChroma glasses and experience exhibitions – for example the vast array of blue hues in the Coastlines exhibition – in clear, vibrant colour for the first time.

“I was unable to join the police force or work in computer science because I’m colour blind,” said Mason Suljic, 24, from Nowra, Australia, a student at Griffith University. “In school, I struggle with classwork that uses colour-coded information. EnChroma glasses are absolutely amazing. They allow me to see and differentiate colours so now I better understand information and nature is so much more colourful and vibrant too.”

“We lead the way in scientific innovation for assistive solutions for colour vision deficiency that help colour blind people overcome frustrating daily vision obstacles, and is enthusiastically embraced by users and eyecare professionals,” said Erik Ritchie, CEO of EnChroma. “Launching operations in Australia is an important step to meeting demand and growing our global footprint.”

EnChroma glasses are available at enchroma.com.au and through EnChroma Authorised Retailers with prices starting at AUD $325. To celebrate the launch, they are offering a super sale, with glasses up to $150 off. They also have plans to plans to expand the number of retailers offering this to patients in Australia soon.

EnChroma continues to lead in advocating for “colour accessibility” through its EnChroma Colour Accessibility Program. The program helps public venues, schools, state parks, libraries, museums, and other organizations purchase and loan EnChroma glasses to colour blind students and guests to help make schoolwork that involves colour, colourful exhibits, attractions and/or experiences accessible to the colour blind. As part of the program, EnChroma encourages schools to test students quickly and easily for colour blindness, using its online colour vision test.

Original content from EnChroma. Note: Content has been edited for style and length.

Nina Alvarez

Website | + posts

Nina Alvarez is a Content Producer for Healthcare Channel. Her interests include writing, particularly about the healthcare sector and the many ways it can improve to further benefit people from all walks of life.

• COVID-19 reinfection period reduced to four weeks
• New online cancer hub dubbed an accessible game changer
• Automated vital signs solutions for long term aged care
• RACGP: Rural and remote patients left behind by telehealth cuts