Color Blind Friendly Viewers Installed at Porcupine Mountains

If you didn't know, the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park just added something pretty amazing for those who are color blind.

This was originally announced in June of this year but, somehow I missed it. New nature viewers tailored to those who are color blind have recently been installed in the park so everyone can enjoy the spectacular views.

How Many People Are Colorblind?

According to clintoneye.com, an estimated 300 million people in the world are born color blind affecting men more than women. About 1 in 12 men are color blind while only 1 in 200 women are color blind.

In Michigan alone, that translates to about 425,000 people. That's 425,000 people who don't get to experience the breathtaking views that Michigan has to offer.

As a reminder, color blindness doesn't mean that people can't see any colors. They just might not be able to see all the colors. The same article from clintoneye.com says that the most common are red/green color blindness and blue/yellow color blindness. And in Michigan, especially in the Fall (and in a place like the Porcupine Mountains), that's a lot of color to miss out on!

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A company called EnChroma has created specialized glasses for those with color blindness to help them see a full spectrum of colors. The results are usually, and understandably, pretty emotional:

However, they're not necessarily affordable for everyone with prices ranging from about $230 to $390.

That's why the new viewers at Porcupine Mountain Wilderness State Park are so amazing. You'll be able to find them at various scenic spots throughout the park. Read more here. To learn more about Friends of the Porkies, the organization that helped gather donations to make the installation of these viewers possible, just visit their website here.

As it turns out, Michigan is not the first state to make this move. In Tennessee, these viewers for the color blind were installed about four years ago. Hopefully, it'll become more common across all states: