Thanks to a generous grant from the Lake Placid Education Foundation, the Lake Placid Olympic Museum is set to improve accessibility for its visitors. This funding will facilitate the purchase of several new amenities aimed at creating a more inclusive environment for all guests. 

Among the enhancements are a new programming table equipped with adjustable height and wheels, tactile sensory items for various programs, and new benches featuring back and armrests. Notably, the museum has also acquired EnChroma glasses, which will allow visitors with red-green color blindness to experience the exhibits in a more vibrant and colorful way. 

The EnChroma glasses, now available for loan at the Box Office in Miracle Plaza, are designed to enhance colors for the red-green color blind. While individuals with normal color vision can see over one million shades, those affected by red-green Color Vision Deficiency (CVD) typically perceive only about 10% of hues and shades. This condition can render colors dull and indistinguishable; for instance, purple may appear blue, and red can seem brown. Statistics indicate that one in 12 men (8%) and one in 200 women (0.5%) are color blind, suggesting that approximately 5,000 of the museum’s 56,000 annual visitors may benefit from this initiative. 

Before the public launch of the EnChroma glasses, Museum Trustee Nancy Beattie brought her brother-in-law, Rod MacIvor, a long-time red-green color blind individual, to test the glasses and provide feedback. Rod was diagnosed with color blindness in public school nearly 60 years ago and expressed initial apprehension about the effectiveness of the glasses. However, upon entering the museum, he was immediately struck by the enhanced colors. “All the different pieces of red really jump out, but it’s not distracting,” he noted. “That’s what I was worried about the most.” 

Rod was particularly impressed by the Design Gallery, which showcases a variety of colorful memorabilia, including posters and uniforms. “They really work well,” he said. “It’s not distracting; it adds flavor. It enhances but not too much. The museum is a good place to have these. It’s amazing.” 

As Rod continued to explore, he was delighted to discover details he had previously overlooked. “I like the red pants there. See, I wouldn’t have even noticed them without the glasses!” he exclaimed, referring to Jim Craig’s goalie pants from the iconic Miracle on Ice game. 

The excitement surrounding the EnChroma glasses is palpable, with Rod expressing gratitude for the opportunity to experience the museum in a new light. “That was worth coming here to do. It does enhance the experience. Not distracting, that’s the key thing. Whoever designed them did good.” 

The Lake Placid Olympic Museum joins over 400 institutions worldwide, including over 100 museums, in supporting color-blind guests through the loan of EnChroma glasses. These glasses feature patented lenses with special optical filters that help individuals with red-green color blindness see a wider range of visible colors more vibrantly. While they are not a cure for color blindness, studies, including one from the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, have demonstrated their benefits. 

Visitors interested in borrowing a pair of EnChroma glasses during their visit can do so at the Lake Placid Olympic Museum Box Office in Miracle Plaza. For those wishing to reserve a pair in advance, a reservation form is available on the museum’s website. Other organizations wishing to foster accessibility and inclusion for those with color blindness can email [email protected].  

The museum extends its gratitude to the Lake Placid Education Foundation for supporting its participation in the EnChroma Color Accessibility Program, marking a significant step toward inclusivity for all visitors. 

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 for color blindness 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 2020 Innovation Award in Life Sciences from the Bay Area’s East Bay Economic Development Alliance. For more information, visit enchroma.com or email [email protected].