Berks County Public Libraries is pleased to join with EnChroma, creators of glasses for color blindness, to promote International Color Blindness Awareness Month. To heighten awareness for the prevalence and effects of Color Vision Deficiency (CVD), in the month of September Berks libraries, along with numerous other organizations around the world, will demonstrate its commitment to accessibility by undertaking activities to educate the public about Color Vision Deficiency (CVD) and give away two pairs of EnChroma glasses to color blind guests.
“In June 2021, we kicked off our 35th anniversary celebration by adding several pairs of color blind glasses to the Accessibility & Supportive Learning Collection for patrons to freely borrow,” said Stephanie Williams, system administrator for Berks County Public Libraries. “Since their incorporation into the countywide catalog, EnChroma color blind glasses have been borrowed over 80 times by library patrons.”
Color Vision Deficiency (CVD, or “color blindness”), affects one in 12 men (8%) and one in 200 women (.5%) – an estimated 13 million in the US, 30 million in Europe and 350 million worldwide. While people with normal color vision see over one million shades of color, the color blind only see an estimated 10% of hues and shades. This can cause challenges in daily life, frustrate color blind students when doing schoolwork that contains colors, and make visits to colorful attractions like museums, parks, gardens and other destinations less enjoyable.
The inspiration for International Color Blindness Awareness Month is the birthdate of John Dalton, a renowned English scientist recognized for his research on color blindness. Dalton, who was CVD himself, was born September 6, 1766.
“During International Color Blindness Awareness Month, EnChroma strives to educate employers, accessibility, safety and human resources directors, and teachers, about Color Vision Deficiency by partnering with other organizations and brands that are committed to accessibility,” said Erik Ritchie, CEO of EnChroma. “We applaud the support of the Berks County Public Libraries in this worthy endeavor.”
Anyone interested in a chance at receiving their own pair of EnChroma color blind glasses should visit www.berkslibraries.org/glasses-giveaway for additional details.
Library cardholders are welcome to borrow color blind glasses from the countywide catalog by placing a request online at www.berkslibraries.org. Register for a free library card at any Berks County Public Libraries location.
