EnChroma and Pinnacle Scopes Offer Scenic Viewers Specially Modified for People with Color Blindness

– EnChroma Lenses Enable Access to Colorful Views for Those with Color Blindness –

Berkeley, CA & Cobourg ON, CN – December 9, 2021 – EnChroma – creators of glasses for color blindness – and Pinnacle Scopes, makers of Hi-Spy Viewing Machines – today announced a partnership that enables people with red-green color blindness to more fully experience the beauty of colors at national parks, scenic overlooks, nature preserves, viewing towers, zoos, boardwalks and other colorful settings. 

“This partnership illustrates EnChroma’s continued commitment to expand accessibility to more of life’s colorful views and moments for millions of people with color vision deficiencies all over the world,” said Erik Ritchie, CEO of EnChroma. “We are excited to work with Pinnacle Scopes to extend our footprint so color blind people can experience EnChroma through a scenic viewer or our glasses at as many locations as possible.” 

One in 12 men (8%) and one in 200 women (.5%) are color blind – 13 million in the US 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. To them, green and yellow, gray and pink, purple and blue, and red and brown look similar, and colors appear muted and dull. EnChroma’s science-backed lenses expand the range of colors the color blind can see and make colors more vibrant, clear and distinct.

 “We are thrilled to team with EnChroma to offer color blind accessible viewers to our customers,” said Rod MacKenzie, founder and President of Pinnacle Scopes. “There is already pent up demand for these special viewers, and we look forward to literally being able to introduce millions of people to a whole new world of color while helping organizations meet their goals for accessibility in the process.” 

Hi-Spy Viewing Machines can be found in 500+ locations in 40+ countries including: Yellowstone Archview Guesthouse, Montana, Seoul Sky Tower in South Korea, Brooklyn Bridge Park, New York, Kiev, Ukraine, Birch Aquarium in San Diego, Calif., Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Toronto Zoo and Niagara Falls in Canada, Viareggio Pier in Tuscany, Italy, the Washington Monument, Washington, DC, Trollfjord in Norway and many others. Organizations can retrofit existing Hi-Spy units to convert them for color blindness while new viewers can be purchased with the addition of EnChroma’s lenses for a small fee.

Today’s news builds on the momentum from EnChroma’s successful partnership with scenic viewer maker SeeCoast Manufacturing to offer more choices to park systems, cities, wildlife refuges, entertainment venues, cruise ship operators and other venues. Tennessee Tourism first installed EnChroma lenses in SeeCoast viewers and now offers them at 13 scenic locations across the state. Watch their award-winning video that captures the reactions of color blind visitors.

Organizations that need to place their orders prior to the end of the fiscal year can do so now and expect delivery in the first quarter of 2022. To order viewers, and learn more about EnChroma eyewear, please email accessiblity@enchroma.com. To view images depicting how people with color vision deficiency see colors, click here. 

When looking through the viewers, those with normal color vision will experience more vivid color. A recent study by the University of California, Davis, and France’s INSERM Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, demonstrated the effectiveness of EnChroma’s lens technology. 

EnChroma Color Accessibility Program

EnChroma is the lead advocate for “color accessibility” through its EnChroma Color Accessibility Program. The program helps public venues, museums, schools, state parks, libraries, and other organizations purchase and loan EnChroma glasses to color blind students and guests to help make schoolwork that involves color, colorful exhibits, attractions and/or experiences accessible to those who are color blind. 

About Pinnacle Scopes

Located on the Great Lakes in Cobourg, Ontario, Canada, Pinnacle products developed its first viewer in 1991. Sold under the brand name Hi-Spy Viewing Machines, we now proudly have units installed in over 40 countries and across the United States and Canada. At Hi-Spy, we make the finest, most attractive viewfinders (binocular and telescope) in the world based on our eye-catching Scandinavian designs, which is a major appeal for users. Our robust, heavy-duty products are built to sustain intense usage, extreme weather and vandalism. Learn more at http://www.hispyviewing.com, 289.252.2019 or email rod@hispyviewing.com.

About EnChroma

Based in Berkeley, Calif., EnChroma produces leading-edge eyewear for color blindness and low vision, and other solutions for color vision, sold online and through Authorized Retailers worldwide. Invented in 2010, EnChroma’s patented eyewear combines the latest in color perception, neuroscience and lens innovation to improve the lives of people with color vision deficiency around the world. EnChroma received an SBIR grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It earned the 2016 Tibbetts Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration in recognition of the firm’s innovative impact on the human experience through technology, and the 2020 Innovation Award in Life Sciences from the Bay Area’s East Bay Economic Development Alliance. For more information call 510-497-0048 or visit enchroma.com.

Kent Streeb
Director of Public Relations and Partnerships
P: 530.908.9225
kent@enchroma.com

Pinnacle Scopes
Rod MacKenzie
Founder & President
289-252-2019
rod@hispyviewing.com