Museum’s Color-Blind Visitors Can Borrow Glasses To Enjoy Art’s Original Forms
The Chau Chak Wing Museum in Sydney, Australia, offers a novel experience for those with color-blindness, who can finally perceive color in a similar vein to normal-sighted individuals for the first time.
Men are more likely to have colorblindness as it is estimated that one in twelve men and one in 200 women have some sort of color visualization deficiency. There is also a range of different variations of color-blindness so not everyone who has it sees color the same way as well. Patrons who are red–green-colorblind will now be able to borrow special glasses to experience art in a way they have not been able to at other museums.
The eyewear comes courtesy of EnChroma, which is known for its specialized corrective glasses for those with color vision deficiencies—though those do not come cheap; each pair can go for as much as US$500+ a pair.
These glasses turn what used to be once gray into blooming hues of pink and bright shades of blue. They bring paintings that once were dull into a new light as the glasses open the user up to a whole new spectrum of colors.
“The accessibility of art and design is always top of mind at the Chau Chak Wing Museum and we are very pleased to be the first venue in Australia to offer this technology through EnChroma’s Colour Accessibility Program,” said Dr Paul Donnelly, Deputy Director of the Museum. “This partnership is another important step forward in our inclusivity goals, helping people who are color blind to experience the full wonder and vibrancy of the exhibitions we have on offer.”
“I’m a regular visitor to the #Museum & know lots of works well. But I saw many of them in a completely new way – with different colours, depth & clarity." 💬 Tim Robinson.
— University of Sydney (@Sydney_Uni) April 29, 2022
Special glasses are now available @ccwm_sydney for guests to borrow.
Learn more: https://t.co/YhrkrNaZiT pic.twitter.com/4r1xW92I5H
[via The University of Sydney and The Guardian, cover image via EnChroma]
