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A radical new range of sunglasses claims to be able to let the colour blind see far more like a person with perfect vision. 

The glasses were discovered by accident, and allow sufferers to see colours where they were previously muddled and muted.

The glasses have now gone on sale for the first time.

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Spot the difference: On the left, Venice seen by someone with colour blindness.  On the right, Venice seen by a colour blind person while wearing the EnChroma glasses

The glasses have specially designed lenses which 'boost' the colour sent to the eye

'Colour blindness is often considered a mild disability, but studies show that over 65% of the 300 million people with colour vision deficiency (CVD) say they feel handicapped by it,' said Tony Dykes, CEO of EnChroma, the firm behind the glasses. 

'We're proud to help colour blind people overcome some of the obstacles colour deficiency presents, and to help them enjoy the full spectrum of life.'

They were invented by Dr. Don McPherson under a government sponsored research grant,  

McPherson discovered the effect by accident: while designing eye-protection glasses for laser-surgeons, when he gave the special lens to a color blind friend. 

The lenses enabled him to see colors where they were previously muddled and muted, giving McPherson the inspiration to start a new direction of research. 

After a long journey through research grants, prototypes and product studies, the current form of consumer-friendly glasses were designed.

'Color deficient persons do not know what they are missing visually, they are only aware that they have certain career, activity and task limitations,' said Dr. Gary Louie, Doctor of Optometry (OD) of Family Vision Care Optometrics in Union City, California . 

'EnChroma lenses are much more than sunglasses or cosmetic accessories. 

HOW THEY WORK

The system, called Digital Color Boost, works using a series of precise 'cutouts' along the spectrum of light. 

By removing the wavelengths of light between the primary colours, Digital Color Boost amplifies the color signal sent to the brain.

For wearers, colors appear brighter and more saturated. 

People report that their color discrimination is faster and more accurate, they are able to see more vibrant colors. 

They are more likely to notice objects that are differentiated against a background based on color (such as a flower against background of leaves), whereas without the lens those objects would have been overlooked.

When people with normal color vision wear the EnChroma Cx glasses, they see a 'color boost' effect: colors appear to 'pop' with a super-ordinary vibrance. 

'They are a unique treatment option that has the potential to improve the life experience of patients in a way they have never experienced before.'

The firm also says wearing could improve a child's vision.

'The neural plasticity of the young adult brain means that information gleaned while wearing EnChroma Cx sunglasses could carry over to enrich a child's other learning and life experiences,' it said.

One in 12 men and one in 233 females have some form of colour vision deficiency, of which approximately 80% can be helped, the firm claims.

Wearers say the changes can make a big difference to their lives. 

Wearers say the changes can make a big difference to their lives. On the left, a 'normal' colourblind view, and on the right, the same image through the new lens.

 'For my 60th birthday, my daughter bought me EnChroma glasses, saying I'd spent too much of my life unable to see certain colours,' says Sheila Carter of Georgetown, Texas. 

'Now I can see that a stop sign is red instead of looking for the white edge around the octagon, and that it is not the same color as surrounding trees. 

'I was amazed to see that each leaf on a tree is a slightly different colour of green. 

'For sunsets, I wasn't aware that wide bands of glowing colour shoot out. 

'The more I wear EnChroma, the more I become aware of colours I've never seen before. What an amazing thing.'