Seeing Fall Color in a Whole New Way
Tallulah Gorge and Black Rock Mountain State Parks introduce color accessibility glasses through the Georgia In Color initiative, with support from Georgia Power and Explore Rabun.
Pictured: Jason Mendez admires the fall colors at Tallulah Gorge State Park.
The brilliant colors of North Georgia's fall foliage took on new meaning on November 6, 2026, as Friends of Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites celebrated the arrival of color accessibility glasses at Tallulah Gorge and Black Rock Mountain State Parks.
The event marked another milestone for Georgia In Color, a statewide initiative bringing color accessibility glasses to Georgia's state parks and historic sites for people with color vision deficiency.
Among the attendees were local brothers Conner and Casey Horn, who learned they were colorblind in elementary school. Joined by their families, Conner and Casey tried the glasses for the first time while overlooking the fall foliage of the gorge.
“I’m seeing a lot of oranges and reds I’ve never seen before,” said Conner. “I never knew what we missed.” Spotting the fiery reds of a maple tree, Casey added, “When I take the glasses off, I can’t even tell that it’s red at all.”
Cecilia Gerosa of EnChroma joined the special day with remarks on the meaning and impact of Georgia In Color.
“It was an absolute honor to witness the emotional impact of the Georgia In Color initiative firsthand at Tallulah Gorge. Seeing our volunteers experience the colors of nature in a new way is exactly why we do this, and we are so proud to support the incredible work that Friends of Georgia State Parks are doing to make the outdoors more inclusive for color blind people.”— Cecilia Gerosa, PR & Marketing Manager, EnChroma
Georgia Power helped set the tone of the day by providing the first set of glasses in the Georgia In Color initiative to Tallulah Gorge State Park and announcing an increase in its support of the program to $15,000. “This investment builds on our longstanding commitment to accessibility in Georgia’s state parks and helps bring this vision to life,” said Lennie Brame, Manager of Land Management at Georgia Power. “We look forward to seeing these incredible glasses become available at more parks and historic sites across the state.”
Explore Rabun provided the funding for a full set of glasses at Black Rock Mountain State Park. “As someone who grew up surrounded by the natural beauty of Rabun County, it is wonderful to know that more people will now have the opportunity to experience it,” said Madison Sanders of Explore Rabun. “We are truly grateful to be part of such a meaningful initiative.”
“Georgia In Color is a simple idea that is making a meaningful difference. Our goal is to help more people enjoy Georgia’s state parks in ways they may not have been able to before. Thanks to partners like Georgia Power and Explore Rabun, we’re making that possible one park at a time.”— Damon Kirkpatrick, President & CEO, Friends of Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites
With continued support from statewide organizations and local partners, Friends is bringing Georgia In Color to more parks and historic sites throughout the state, creating new opportunities for Georgians to experience the beauty of these special places.
Find out more about Georgia In Color or help bring the initiative to another Georgia state park or historic site!
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