Executive Summary

The buying power of consumers with disabilities is in the trillions of dollars, yet this continues to be a highly underserved market. Impediments to marketing and instructional content are compounded by continued reliance on print vehicles. Print is inflexible, and thus offers limited accessibility to users faced with visual impairments and language barriers.

Furthermore, print is a “low-engagement “ medium compared to the burgeoning array of digital content options. Print cannot easily be adapted to individualized learning styles, or preferred content-consumption habits.

While devices such as the iPad are truly innovative, the accompanying chants of “print is dead” are ludicrous. Yes, publishing and distribution models are changing, but print-based communications (think packaging) are not going anywhere soon.

The solution that is outlined in the following pages (future blogs in this case) is intended to describe a “digital bridge” to allow better levels of access and engagement of content to all consumers. The solution outlined strives to address the needs of all consumers, not just those having disabilities. This is in accordance with the “universal design” framework, rooted in the field of architecture.

Universal Design holds that products, information and environments should be designed according to the following principles:

• Equitable Use: The design does not disadvantage or stigmatize any group of users.
• Flexibility in Use: The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities.
• Simple, Intuitive Use: Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user’s experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level.
• Perceptible Information: The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s sensory abilities.
• Tolerance for Error: The design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions.
• Low Physical Effort: The design can be used efficiently and comfortably, and with a minimum of fatigue.
• Size and Space for Approach & Use: Appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use, regardless of the user’s body size, posture, or mobility.

If you look at these principles with print communication in mind, it is evident how inaccessible a medium that print really is.

Modern print vehicles begin their lives in digital formats (Word, Quark, InDesign, Photoshop…); however, they become static and “outdated” the moment that ink hits paper. While the physical attributes and limitations of print cannot be changed, current technology offers a unique opportunity to provide users the means to better see (or hear) printed content.

The following pages (er blogs) outline the potential opportunities to leverage existing (and affordable) technology in order to provide consumers with convenient access to digital editions of print content. This digital content might be delivered in and array of accessible formations such as the following:

• Enlarged text
• Language translations
• Audio
• Video with subtitles

In addition to greater levels of accessibility, customers will have the opportunity to vault from a printed vehicle (such as a product label) to online content where there are unlimited opportunities:

• To be educated, entertained and engaged by online content
• To make express purchases via e-commerce capabilities

The goal of the envisioned solution is not to preserve print media; however, it is prudent for manufacturers, retailers and service providers to recognize that print content will be part of the marketing mix for some time to come. Furthermore, these organizations can take advantage of numerous emerging technologies that will allow them to more-effectively reach hundreds of millions of consumers.

…a few billion dollars here, a few trillion dollars there, and pretty soon you’re talking about real money.

Please see my article on the business case for a content accessibility strategy..

The Larger Issue
I am in my mid 40’s, and wear progressive lenses (polite word for bifocals) which provide me with otherwise, pretty good vision. I can make out the ingredients list on most food packages, I’m usually befuddled by contents on pharmaceuticals.

While the inabiliy to read packaging is a chronic annoyance, it does presents huge levels of risk when dosage levels, or allergies are concerned. Why are we allowing such a violation of usability principles when there are such potentially dire consequence?

That is the question I have asked myself every cold and flu season and sometimes spent a few moments mapping out potential solutions. Then I’d get distracted–the cat had a hairball, or there’s a good rerun of “Seinfeld” on cable–you know the feeling.

People-Compliant Content
I am former ad guy, working on a graduate degree in educational technology with a minor in special ed. Thus, it’s been something of a crusade of mine to explore accessibility options in all forms of communication.

I believe that the focus of assistive technology should be geared to allowing for flexible content that can be more easily adapted for the needs of the end user. In short, content should be designed such that it is people-compliant. Traditional print vehicles present and accessibility challenge because they are fixed and lack flexibility.

Death of Print Has Been Greatly Exaggerated
Despite what you may heard about the decline of newspapers, print is not dead. Until we get to a point where digital product labels are practical, we live with printed labels that are fixed, crowded and hard to read. Print is not especially people-compliant, thus necessitating the need for assistive technology.

Affordable Assistive Devices
My view is that assistive hardware should pass the “Best Buy test” That is, content should be accessible on devices (personal computers, cell phones, etc.) that you are likely to be found in many homes. This relieves the burden of the user with disability from having to spring for a costly specialized device.

With regard to packaging-usability, I had been toying with some assistive technology scenarios for making packaging more accessible, beginning with RFID technology.

I soon realized many problems with RFID, but most importantly: I would fail the Best Buy test. A consumer-grade RFID scanner? Every see one of those at Best Buy? I eventually circled back to optical-recognition. Most cell phones already had cameras, why couldn’t the phones become scanners?

I have recently learned that the solution has probably been been gathering around me in the development of apps for “smartphones.” All this, while I muddle through the days with “intellectually-challenged phone” (funny that we now complain when the phone ‘only’ has a video camera, calendar, calculator… on it).

Phones That See
As a dumphone user, I had to be made aware of 21st century technology by my printed edition of Newsweek. In the article, I learned about an innovative company , Occipital, that has developed the means of turning an iPhone into a barcode scanner for the purpose of comparison shopping and nutritional planning.

I also learned that they have developed another application that will scan a bar code and compare it against a database of 200,000 products for nutritional planning.
Yesterday, I learned of a Google’s mobile phone app for reading barcodes.

How Can These Solutions Promote Accessibility?
As they used to say in the Six Million Dollar Man, “We have the technology.” Though it’s unclear what these companies are planning in the area of accessibility with their applications.

In looking at my original problem statement, in light of this smartphone technology, the question becomes how do we leverage existing technology to make inflexible media (such as packaging) more accessible to consumers?

Here is a high-level description, of what the smartphones could offer:

• A consumer would to be able to use a device that will allow the consumer to understand the composition, and risks of what is contained inside the package. Real simply: a user would be given option to view/hear dosage level, disclaimers and ingredients in enlarged text, or audio-video formats.
• A consumer should be able to set up a profile that will be able to compare their needs, or restrictions, against specific ingredients in packaged foods or drugs. For example: if my profile shows that I am allergic to peanuts I should be able to know immediately if a product contains peanuts (ingredients) or if there is risk to exposure to peanuts during the manufacturing process (disclaimer).
• A consumer should have the ability to see, or hear, the ingredients, dosages and disclaimer in languages other than the one in which packaging is written.

Benefits to the consumer
Well, being able to read package with the intent of avoiding lethal dosages, or allergic reactions is enough for me.

Moving forward
The technology is here, though there is still much to ponder:

• What are other opportunities are there to make print vehicle more accessible? I can think of a few. (Don’t limit the thinking to UPC, there are other types of barcodes. And while you’re at it, don’t limit the thinking to barcodes. Think about character- and picture-recognition opportunities as well).
• What non-technical challenges (information architecture, content management, training…) lie ahead? I can think of a lot, though the payoff will be well worth it.