Tennessee – Tennessee State Parks announced that the number of parks with colorblind viewfinders has expanded to 12, now including T.O. Fuller State Park in Memphis and Roan Mountain State Park in Roan Mountain. The announcement coincided with the start of International Colorblindness Awareness Month, allowing more visitors of all abilities to experience the full beauty of the parks.
Another viewfinder will be added at Pickett CCC Memorial State Park on Sept. 25, with volunteers installing the device as part of First Lady Maria Lee’s Tennessee Serves program.
The specialized viewfinders are designed to alleviate red-green colorblindness, using lenses that allow people to see a wide range of vibrant colors. At T.O. Fuller State Park, the device will provide a view of native grasslands and floodplains, while at Roan Mountain State Park, visitors will be able to enjoy sweeping views of the rugged ridge of Roan Mountain.
“All visitors deserve the same experience of enjoying the natural beauty of our state parks,” said Greer Tidwell, deputy commissioner for Conservation at the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. “The ability to view colors of the park can be a dramatic moment for a visitor. As the most accessible state park system in the nation, we are thrilled we can provide that experience.”
The viewfinder at T.O. Fuller State Park was purchased by the Tennessee State Parks Conservancy, while the one at Roan Mountain State Park was purchased by the park.
Tennessee State Parks have prioritized accessibility in recent years. T.O. Fuller State Park offers all-terrain wheelchairs, an adult-sized changing table, an accessible half-mile trail, wheelchair-friendly campsites with a bathhouse, and parking at the Shelby Bluff Center for the new viewfinder. Roan Mountain State Park provides wheelchair-friendly parking and picnicking, ADA-accessible cabins and campsites, and the Chestnut Ridge Overlook, where the viewfinder is located.
Other parks with colorblind viewfinders include Meeman-Shelby Forest, Chickasaw, Paris Landing, Fort Pillow, Nathan Bedford Forrest, Montgomery Bell, Radnor Lake, Standing Stone, Savage Gulf, and Fall Creek Falls.