(PRESS RELEASE) BERKELEY, CA – EnChroma, Inc. – creators of EnChroma Eyewear for Color Blindness and the EnChroma Lx Series Lenses for Low Vision and Age-Related Eye Conditions – has been named the winner of the Innovation Award in the highly competitive Life Sciences category by the East Bay Economic Development Alliance (East Bay EDA).
“Over 200 organizations submitted applications for the eighth annual East Bay Innovation Awards, which showcase the best examples of innovation in the Bay Area,” said Stephen Baiter, executive director, EDA. “EnChroma really stood out due to its pioneering work to help the color blind surmount daily frustrations and expand their opportunities to access more of life’s colorful experiences.”
“EnChroma is honored to receive this award and grateful that East Bay EDA has recognized the innovation involved in developing a viable solution to color blindness, a problem that has vexed scientists for generations,” said Tony Dykes, CEO of EnChroma. “I want to applaud the outstanding team at EnChroma for all of their hard work, resourcefulness and dedication to helping those with color blindness and other vision challenges overcome them. Thank you to East Bay EDA for creating a supportive environment for businesses in the region.” Click here to watch the awards ceremony.
One in 12 men (8%) and one in 200 women (.05%) are color vision deficient; an estimated 13 million in the United States and 350 million worldwide. While people with normal color vision see over one million shades of color, those with color vision deficiency are estimated to see only about 10% of hues and shades.
EnChroma’s patented lens technology is engineered with special optical filters to remove wavelengths of light where the red and green cones in the eye of the color blind overlap excessively. The advanced optical filters increase the separation between color channels to help people with color blindness see colors more vibrantly, clearly and distinctly. A recent study by world-renowned color vision scientists at the University of California, Davis, and France’s INSERM Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, demonstrated the effectiveness of EnChroma’s lens technology.
EnChroma continues to lead in advocating for “color accessibility” through its EnChroma Color Accessibility Program. The program helps public venues, schools, state parks, libraries, museums 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 the color blind.