Travel Yukon and Enchroma Help People With Colourblindness See the Northern Lights

WHITEHORSE, YT, Sept. 21, 2022 /CNW/ - The northern lights are one of the most astounding sights that can be viewed on this planet. That is, unless you're one of the 1.6 million Canadians who have colour vision deficiency. While people with typical colour vision see over one million colours, people who experience colourblindness only see an estimated 10% of hues and shades. So Travel Yukon and EnChroma, a leading producer of glasses for colourblindness and low vision, came together to make the show-stopping northern lights more accessible than ever before for the colourblind, and provided one Canadian with the chance to see this natural phenomenon in full colour for the first time.

Russell Basilio experiences colourblindness. He sees colour in dull hues, especially red and green, which leaves him to interpret the beauty of the world through shapes and textures. In order to demonstrate the power of this new accessibility, Travel Yukon took Russell on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to experience the northern lights in their truest colourful form.

"Growing up colourblind I always knew I saw the world differently. My sister would describe things to me like the northern lights, but I never really understood what that meant," said Russell Basilio. "To experience the northern lights in colour with my sister by my side was a gift."

"With dynamic lights and fantastic hues of greens, purples and reds, the northern lights are one of Yukon's most beautiful natural phenomena,'' said Robin Anderson, Global Marketing Manager at Travel Yukon. "We are grateful for the opportunity to have worked with EnChroma to allow Russell to discover what makes the Yukon one of the best places in the world to experience incredible northern lights viewing."

Special optical filters in EnChroma glasses expand the range of colours someone who is colourblind can see and make colours more vibrant, clear and distinct to help them experience more of life's colourful moments and overcome challenges while travelling and in daily life. By coming together, EnChroma and Travel Yukon were able to provide Russell with a week of colourful moments that will last a lifetime.

"The Yukon truly is larger than life but, for the hundreds of millions of people with colourblindness across the globe, many of its most spectacular and colourful scenes can't be fully experienced or appreciated," said Erik Ritchie, CEO of EnChroma. "We're so excited to partner with Travel Yukon to give Russell and future visitors the chance to see the northern lights in all their glory."

Canadians looking to learn more about Russell's adventure can watch his journey by visiting https://www.travelyukon.com/en/northern-lights-in-colour.

For curious adventurers seeking to explore a unique place with experiences, cultures, and landscapes strikingly different from their everyday norm, the Yukon is a destination that feels worlds away even though it's right here in Canada. For more information, visit www.travelyukon.com or Facebook, Instagram (@travelyukon), and Twitter (@TravelYukon).

Based in Berkeley, Calif., EnChroma produces leading-edge eyewear for colour blindness and low vision, and other solutions for colour vision, sold online and through Authorised Retailers worldwide. Invented in 2010, EnChroma's patented eyewear combines the latest in colour perception, neuroscience and lens innovation to improve the lives of people with colour vision deficiency. 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.

SOURCE Tourism Yukon