RIO RANCHO, N.M. (KRQE) – 15 colorblind Rio Rancho students were given special classes to help them see a brighter world. The glasses are a donation from veteran Ron Neldon. He purchased EnChroma glasses for the students from various Rio Rancho Public Schools.
This is the third year Neldon purchased the glasses for students helping dozens better see color-coded information on assignments. Neldon is an Air Force veteran who was stationed in Saudia Arabia in 1996. In June 1996, terrorists detonated a truck bomb outside of the Khobar Towers housing complex in Saudia Arabia killing 19 and injuring more than 400 according to the Air Force.
On behalf of the victims, the United States government successfully sued Iran for their role in backing the terrorists and now Neldon uses some of that money to try and make a positive impact in student’s lives. “The transformation of the kids who don’t see colors the way they’re meant to be, is what makes every penny, every minute worthwhile,” said Neldon.
While people with normal color vision see over 1,000,000 gues and shades, colorblind people can only see an estimated 10% of them. As a result, colors can appear dull and difficult to discern. “I’m feeling really good! I noticed that everything is more vibrant… the most important thing for me was… it turns out it was actually green! So green is way more vibrant for me!” said a student.
With nearly 17,000 students in the Rio Rancho Public Schools district, more than 700 Rio Rancho students are projected to be colorblind.
