Color-correcting glasses for color-blindness now available at SCLS

The Sussex County Library System (SCLS) recently announced the availability of EnChroma color-correcting glasses for borrowers who suspect they may be color-blind.

Color vision deficiency affects 8% of men and 0.5% of women, many of whom don’t realize anything is wrong. While people with normal color vision see over 1 million shades of color, the color blind see an estimated 10% of hues and shades. As a result, colors can appear dull and difficult to discern which makes understanding colored information in graphs, charts, presentations, maps, and more very difficult.

The SCLS has acquired four pairs of EnChroma color correcting glasses – one pair each of sunglasses and indoor glasses for adults and children. The glasses can be borrowed for up to two weeks at a time, either as a test for the wearer to determine if this type of technology is something that can enhance their life, or for specific events (an important test, a museum trip) where enhanced color vision can have a real impact. (The EnChroma glasses normally retail for $189 to over $400.)

Since the library has just four pairs, they are housed at the main branch but can be requested from any SCLS branch and delivered just like a book request.

“New Jersey is one of the many states that does not require testing for color-blindness in school,” stated Adult Services Librarian Louisa Bann. “As a result, 20% of color-blind people don’t even learn they have a deficiency until well into adulthood. In the meantime, the inability to interpret colored charts and maps gets kids identified as slow learners which affects their confidence in all walks of life. Making these glasses available to our borrowers lets them determine if color correction can make a difference.”

EnChroma glasses are not a “cure” for color blindness, and work approximately 80% of the time for those with red-green color vision deficiency. Some users see an immediate difference while others can take up to 10 minutes for the brain to adjust. A free color vision test through the EnChroma website (enchroma.com/pages/test) can help potential users determine if red-green color correction glasses can help them. A trip to your local SCLS library to check out the glasses and give them a try can help even more.

A free Sussex County Library card is available to anyone living, working or going to school in Sussex County (except Sparta). Apply in person at any SCLS location or online at sussexcountylibrary.org/get-library-card.