PRESS RELEASE: Color Blind Viewfinder Installed at Ruby Falls Scenic Overlook
CHATTANOOGA November 9, 2018 - A newly installed special viewfinder at Ruby Falls provides guests with the opportunity to witness the true colors of fall in the Tennessee Valley. Each year, a half-million guests from all over the world travel to Lookout Mountain to explore Ruby Falls, known for its underground waterfall and sweeping views of the Tennessee Valley. During autumn, the view is especially colorful with vibrant foliage dominating the landscape. However, until recently, those challenged with protanopia and protanomaly, also known as red-green color blindness, were unable to fully enjoy nature’s beautiful transition from deep green to striking red, yellow, and orange. The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development selected twelve of the most scenic overlooks in the state of Tennessee as partners to install special viewfinders outfitted with an innovative lens designed to enable people with color blindness to see a wider range of vibrant, true colors. Ruby Falls received one of the uniquely equipped viewfinders in time for peak fall foliage season. It is estimated that one in twelve males and one in 200 women have a congenital color vision deficiency. Hugh Morrow, Ruby Falls president shares, “Providing guests with color deficiencies the ability to enjoy the brilliant colors we are surrounded by each fall, is humbling and a remarkable opportunity. It is exhilarating to be a part of guests’ first-time true color experience.” The new technology viewfinder is placed on Ruby Falls’ accessible Blue Heron Overlook. The Overlook was completed in June 2018 and has a deep view of the Tennessee Valley and distant mountain ranges. Equipped with Enchroma lenses, the innovative viewer is the only colorblind-less viewfinder located in Chattanooga. The technology of the special lenses alleviates red-green colorblindness in order to see a broader range of the vibrant picturesque foliage just as it appears to individuals with typical color vision. Access to the Blue Heron Overlook and viewer are included with Ruby Falls admission. The colorblind-less viewfinders are positioned at 12 different locations all throughout the state of Tennessee. For more information on where to find the accessible lenses, visit www.tnvacation.com
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About Ruby Falls
Celebrating its 88th year as a destination inspiring exploration, Ruby Falls is home to the tallest and deepest underground waterfall open to the public in the United States. Over half a million guests visit the thundering waterfall annually, located 1,120 feet beneath the surface of Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tenn. Committed to cave conservation and environmental sustainability, Ruby Falls is the first attraction in the United States to earn certification from Green Globe and is recognized as a leader in tourism sustainability. www.RubyFalls.com
About the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development
Tennessee is the birthplace of the blues, bluegrass, country, gospel, soul, rockabilly and rock ‘n’ roll delivering an unparalleled experience of beauty, history and family adventure, infused with music that creates a vacation that is “The Soundtrack of America. Made in Tennessee.” Tennessee’s tourism industry generates $19.3 billion in economic impact, more than $1.7 billion in state and local tax revenue and more than 176,500 tourism-related jobs. Explore more at tnvacation.com and join other Tennessee travelers by following “tnvacation” on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube or “Tennessee” on Snapchat.