Glasses making colors more vivid at Mazza

FINDLAY — Some visitors will get a whole new perspective on their future trip to the Mazza Museum. They'll finally be able to see the reds, blues, yellows and greens in the children's picture books and paintings The museum, located on the University of Findlay campus, received a set of EnChroma glasses for colorblindness at the weekly meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Findlay. "It's a wonderful gift and we're excited," said museum director Ben Sapp. "It's something we'll be able to use year-round. Our hope is that it will allow us to take the art that we have for those who are colorblind and make a new experience for them, and hopefully a colorful one." Shannon Connelly said fellow Kiwanian Rick Kidwell came up with the idea to reach out to Sapp since there are other museums nationwide that have EnChroma glasses for their patrons to use. Kidwell thought they needed to get the glasses into the hands of the Mazza Museum. Kiwanis donated three pairs of glasses for youth and one adult pair. Sapp noted one of the docents at the museum is colorblind. "I can't wait for her to try them," he said. "She'll be able to put the glasses on and go through the museum and be able to see everything like we see." The greater project During her term as president during the 2021-22 service year, Connelly found there was a need in local schools for children who are colorblind. Her passion for the project led her to partner with Enchroma Glasses. To date, the Findlay club has gifted over 40 pairs of glasses to area children in kindergarten through high school. She said the club budgets to continue the project each year. "We're the very first and only Kiwanis Club to ever partner with EnChroma," she said. Invented in 2010, the patented eyewear combines the latest in color perception, neuroscience and lens innovation to help colorblind people see an expanded range of colors more vibrantly, clearing and distinctly. Connelly said the cost of the glasses hasn't increased very much since then. "The adult ones obviously are a little more expensive and then we have students that have prescriptions. So we are able to get the prescriptions from the families, and those glasses are just a little bit more. But EnChroma gives us the glasses at 25% off," she said. On average, glasses for children cost about $225 a pair, she added. Connelly said people in the community donate money for the project, and the club also fundraises which helps with the price. "We just continue with it. As long as we have the funds and we have the schools giving us applicants, we will continue to do it because it helps so much with their schoolwork," Connelly said. So far, they haven't had any applications from college students. "If we had a local college applicant, by all means we would definitely take that on," she said. "We do a lot of kindergarteners because that's when the schools test you for colorblindness, so that's when we get the most." Sapp said an occupational therapist student from UF did an evaluation of the museum last summer, looking at how it could be more accessible to all people. The glasses were one of their recommendations. "Your organization is making that happen," he said. "We can't thank you enough for this gift that we'll be able to give to all who visit the museum." He plans to make it part of the application when people schedule tours and activities at the museum. "This will be an option for them to check to see if they have students that are colorblind so that we can make sure that they have access to these when they visit," he said. Cameron Powell, a junior at Riverdale High School, also received a pair of the EnChroma glasses during Wednesday's meeting. His younger brother was given his glasses from Kiwanis a couple of weeks ago, Connelly said.