The poet and art critic Guillaume Apollinaire said, “Color is the fruit of life.” A slightly precious thing to say, but cut him some slack. It was a long time ago when people were less cynical than they are today.

Whatever you might think of Apollinaire’s metaphor, his message was clear. Color makes life more enjoyable, which is why Valspar — whose paint comes in thousands of colors and is the most widely distributed of any coatings — is on a mission to help red-green colorblind people see in full color, and to help the normally sighted to appreciate all that color brings to the world.

Globally, almost 300 million people have some form of colorblindness. Valspar’s #ColorForAll initiative is its response to colorblindness. The company is gifting colorblindness-correcting glasses made by EnChroma to a number of colorblind individuals. The initiative is anchored by a short film on Valspar’s Color For All website that recounts four people’s experiences with colorblindness and their reactions to seeing in full color for the first time with the glasses.

When asked about the inspiration behind #ColorForAll, Valspar’s Director of Brand Integration Joel Wasserman said, “As a company deeply rooted in color, Valspar believes that everyone deserves to see and appreciate the experience that color brings to life. Most people don’t know what it’s like to live in a muted world. We’re dedicated to making a change for the better and igniting a conversation around the impact of color.”

If you’re colorblind or affected by colorblindness, you can share your story using the #ColorForAll hash tag or on the Color For All website. Some of those who submit stories will receive EnChroma glasses, courtesy of Valspar. Valspar will also be working with art museums across the country to offer colorblind visitors the chance to see in full color for the first time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea_xOqNvntA&feature=youtu.be