Study Finds Arts, Nature and Tourism Less Appealing to People Who are Color Blind

- Nearly Half Say Condition Affects Their Desire to Visit Art and Other Museums, 77% Are Disappointed in Visits to Colorful Attractions, 84% Want More “Color Accessibility” -

Berkeley, CA & Denver, CO – May 16, 2023 – EnChroma – creators of glasses for color blindness – today announced that a study of 505 color blind people has unearthed numerous ways in which their inability to perceive colors negatively affects their interests in the arts as well as visits to museums, state and national parks, gardens, sporting events and colorful tourist destinations.

Announced at the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo (Booth #829) taking place in Denver, the study asked color blind people how Color Vision Deficiency (CVD) impacts their enjoyment of various activities that involve color. Half of respondents said color blindness affects their interest in going to art and other museums (49%), and over three-fourths feel "left out" or disappointed in trips to art museums, gardens and parks because they cannot fully experience the colors. Nearly 60 percent (57%) said color blindness affects their desire to create art. Two-thirds have trouble differentiating the jersey colors of opposing sports teams.

Additionally, “color accessibility” and “color literacy” is problematic. Roughly three of four (71.88%) find it challenging to understand maps, brochures, signage and exhibits that convey information via colors at museums, parks, tourist destinations and concerts. And 84% say venues rarely or never consider their needs in their usage of colors. 

“This landmark study clearly illustrates that color blindness detracts from the ability of millions of people to enjoy a variety of experiences as fully as those with normal color vision,” said Erik Ritchie, CEO of EnChroma. “People with Color Vision Deficiencies have strongly voiced the need for tourist sites, museums, gardens, concert and sports venues to treat color blindness as an accessibility issue that should be addressed.”

One in 12 men (8%) and one in 200 women (.5%) are color blind – 13 million in the US, 30 million in Europe, and 350 million worldwide. For them, understanding colorful information in school, at work, in nature, during travel, at museums and in daily life can cause obstacles. While people with normal color vision see over one million shades of color, the red-green color blind only see an estimated 10% of hues and shades. Common color confusions include green and yellow, gray and pink, purple and blue, and red and brown, with colors appearing muted and dull. This creates frustration for people who are CVD and detracts from their ability to fully experience colors in art, nature, sports and travel. Click here for images depicting how the color blind see colors at museums and other attractions. 

Study finds art, nature and tourism less appealing to people who are color blind

Highlights from the EnChroma Study:

  • 14% of color blind people say family and friends do not take them to colorful museums, parks, gardens and tourist destinations because they're color blind
  • 8 in 10 color blind people say they were made fun of for coloring something "wrong" as a child or adult
  • More than half of color blind people think museums, parks, gardens, tourist destinations, concert and sports venues should treat color blindness as an accessibility issue (54.06%)
  • Eighty-five percent of color blind people say they would be more likely to visit a museum, garden, park or tourist destination if they knew they could borrow EnChroma glasses to more fully experience the colors during their visit (85.35%)
  • Seven in 10 color blind people want state and national parks to offer scenic viewers adapted for the color blind with EnChroma lenses (69.90%)
  • Almost 8 in 10 color blind people want museums, parks, gardens and tourist destinations to adapt signage, guides and exhibits for color blind guests to eliminate problematic colors (77.82%)

At AAM in Denver, Visitors to EnChroma Booth #829 can:

  • See colorful artwork and exhibits as they appear to color blind people
  • Learn how to make their museum “Color Accessible”
  • Bring color blind people to try EnChroma glasses
  • Test their color vision with EnChroma’s #1 online Color Vision Test
  • Watch a brief presentation about 90+ museums that already participate in EnChroma’s Color Accessibility Program™
  • Learn how EnChroma glasses work
  • Find out how Museum Stores and Gift Shops can sell EnChroma glasses

To receive the full data from EnChroma’s study, email accessibility@enchroma.com.

EnChroma Color Accessibility Program™

EnChroma is the leading advocate for accessibility for those with color blindness. Nearly 200 public institutions— including over 80 museums in addition to libraries, schools, universities, national parks, gardens, employers and tourism bureaus—participate to help color blind visitors more fully experience colors in art, nature, and overcome obstacles to learning. Renowned museums that loan EnChroma glasses to guests include the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, The Centre Pompidou, Van Gogh Museum, Dallas Museum of Art, Gallerie d’Italia, MCA Denver, Chau Chak Wing Museum, Timken Museum of Art and many others. EnChroma donates a pair of glasses for every pair an organization purchases. EnChroma also provides materials for institutions to educate the public or teachers, students, and parents about color blindness and its effects. Organizations interested in joining the program can email accessibility@enchroma.com.

Media: Additional media materials can be downloaded here. EnChroma glasses are engineered with special optical filters that help the color blind see an expanded range of colors more vibrantly, clearly and distinctly. A study by the University of California, Davis, and France’s INSERM Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, demonstrated the effectiveness of EnChroma glasses. 

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 visit enchroma.com.