Does Every Person See Their Own Rainbow?

Last year, Jason Allmon received a Father’s Day gift that went well beyond the hackneyed tie or mug; he got something that changed the way he saw the world. His family gave him a pair of glasses designed to help colorblind people, like Allmon, perceive colors better. Upon putting on the glasses and going outside, he gasped and pulled his hand to his mouth. “Shit, what’ve I been missing?” he wondered. Wiping a tear from his cheek, he turned to his wife. “Hey, beautiful. You’re not even the same color I thought you were.”

These glasses, made by a company called EnChroma, have become the center of an online phenomenon: Colorblind people put on the glasses, record their reactions, and post the videos on YouTube, as Allmon did. Many people receive the glasses as presents, with the gift giver filming the moment. The recipients look at the sunset, or their children’s eyes, and report how different, how amazing, how colorful they look. Heartfelt hugs are shared, tears of joy are shed. It’s touching, heartwarming stuff; a friend of mine sometimes treats herself to a few of the clips when she’s feeling down.

I watched these videos with special interest: I, too, am colorblind. So, after seeing other people get bowled over by the glasses, I