Accessible Code

Universal Packaging Solution

A single 2D code label for everyone, regardless of language or disability

Accessible Code® combines QR code technology with barrier-free design so that people with visual impairments, reading disorders, or a different language background can access critical printed information independently. When Accessible Code is printed on product packaging, a consumer with different needs can scan the code with their smartphone and have the information read aloud and provided in magnified text. A single code can store text and audio information in up to 15 languages, which means that instructions, ingredients, safety precautions, and other essential product information is available to a broad range of consumers without the need to print packaging in braille, provide separate instructions, or take up valuable space on a product label design. Accessible Code is patented as an identification code for the visually impaired for use on product packaging, and it is steadily becoming a new industry standard.

A sample of Accessible Code for print: the QR code measures 11mm in length and width, surrounded by the printing area with the length and width of 16mm.

What makes it “accessible”?

No App Needed

Users don’t need to install a special application. Accessible Code can be scanned and read using the default camera app on most smartphones.

Text-to-Speech Playback

A built-in voice playback function allows users to hear the text read aloud.

Multilingual

Text is automatically displayed in the same language that the user’s device is set to.

Fully Editable

The text and audio can be edited or altered at any time without changing the printed QR code.

Identifiable by touch

Tactile marks enable users with visual impairments to identify the location of the code.

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Benefits and Advantages

Accessible Code was created to help people with visual impairment live more independent lives, but the same technology benefits people with other needs as well. In public places like retail and grocery stores, people with visual impairments often require assistance from staff when making a purchase. However, they may struggle to tell their purchased items apart when they return home. A similar problem occurs when someone cannot read the language on the box, or they otherwise find it difficult to follow a written text. Accessible Code is a simple solution for manufacturers to communicate with these valuable consumers.

A single label in multiple languages

A smartphone is pointed at the back of a package with a QR code, and its screen shows the QR code with the logo that reads “Accessible.”

One code can be displayed in up to 15 languages. Product information that was originally produced in one language is readily available to a broader audience, eliminating the need to include separate paper documents in other languages.

A practical alternative to braille

A close-up of a fingertip against braille.

A built-in audio function reads text for people with visual impairments or reading disabilities. Many products only print braille for the product’s name, but Accessible Code provides extensive product information.

Large amounts of info in a small space

Tactile indicators like indentation or raised bumps surround a QR code. The front and back of a Japanese pharmaceutical product shows the code located on the back bottom right corner. A blue arrow from that code leads to the “play” button on the text-to-speech function displayed on a smartphone screen.

The QR code takes up a 16 mm x 16 mm square area, making it about the size of typical game dice. This small, unobtrusive code allows the product package to retain its original design.

One of the biggest advantages of using Accessible Code is that it can be flexibly applied. For example, a key feature of Accessible Code is that it has tactile marks that enable visually impaired people to locate the code, like indentations or raised dots. In the implementation stage, we will help you find the right method for your product packaging and ensure that it meets the standards that end users need. Once a code is printed, you will have full access to edit and update the product information provided, freely adjust translations into other languages, and even alter pronunciation in the audio. Whether your goal is barrier-free communication or global expansion, Accessible Code is a customizable tool that will help.

The story of Accessible Code

Accessible Code was created over the course of three years with extensive input from visually impaired people (VIP) and from organizations that support them in living independently. In addition to helping us with product testing, people with different kinds of visual impairments told us about the biggest barriers they face in everyday life. For example, it’s very hard to attain information about food, medicine, and other products they’ll ingest.

Based on what they told us and on the data we collected from our experiments, we developed a solution that goes beyond helping VIP. Accessible Code is communication technology that benefits consumers around the world, regardless of disability.

Please see “Our Findings” for details more on our research and development.

Our Findings

Early Adopters

Two pharmaceutical products with Accessible Code on Japanese packages, and a smartphone screen that shows the text-to-speech playback and English product information.
Two pharmaceutical products with Accessible Code on Japanese packages, and a smartphone screen that shows the text-to-speech playback and English product information.

Shionogi Healthcare

Shionogi Healthcare Co., Ltd. is a sub-company within Shionogi Group, one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in Japan. The Shionogi Group has continuously explored different ways to make pharmaceutical packaging that accommodates the needs of individuals with disabilities. In 2020, Shionogi Healthcare was the first manufacturer to adopt Accessible Code. They currently use Accessible Code in 7 languages for over 40 products, including New Sedes Tablets, Sedes High, Pylon PL, Rinderon Ointment, Medicon cough medicine, and Cinal.

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In a person’s left hand, there is a pharmaceutical product in a green box. In their right hand, there is a smartphone displaying the green package and English information that reads, “Rapid relief of heartburn and nausea due to acid reflux.”
In a person’s left hand, there is a pharmaceutical product in a green box. In their right hand, there is a smartphone displaying the green package and English information that reads, “Rapid relief of heartburn and nausea due to acid reflux.”

ROHTO Pharmaceutical

ROHTO Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is a Japanese pharmaceutical manufacturer that was founded in 1899. In 1988, it acquired the rights to Mentholatum Company, Inc. in the United States. ROHTO Pharmaceutical is one of the largest producers of over-the-counter (OTC) medications in Japan. The company's flagship products include gastrointestinal medicine, eye drops, and skincare products. In late 2023, ROHTO Pharmaceutical adopted Accessible Code for its Pansiron series of gastrointestinal medicine.

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A smartphone is held in someone’s left hand and their right hand points to the screen. The words “Export Japan” are displayed above a QR code with the word “Accessible” above it.

A single QR code with multilingual text and text-to-speech audio for everyone, regardless of disability

For people with visual impairments and other disabilities, access to everyday information remains a challenge. Accessible Code was designed so that anyone can easily read the code with their smartphone and have the information read aloud with the built-in text-to-speech function. We’ve put in the work to determine the best tactile and visual ways to make the code easy to locate and scan, and you’ve put in the work to make an attractive product. We have our recommendations, but Accessible Code can be flexibly adapted to suit your package design. Learn more below about our implementation requirements and about the pricing of our solutions.

Implementation

Adding Accessible Code to your products generally requires a redesign of your product packaging. See this page for details like code size requirements, emboss/deboss specifications, and color options. Learn how you can customize each QR code to match your product design.

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Pricing

You can implement Accessible Code on your product’s packaging for as little as one penny per product. The price includes all the features of Accessible Code both for the end user and the manufacturer, from text-to-speech audio to post-sale marketing data.

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Four Japanese pharmaceutical products, three in red and one in yellow, with the English letters “PL” in their names have Accessible Code on the bottom right corner of the front of the packages.
Two Japanese pharmaceutical products, with colored borders in green for the left package and orange for the right package, have pictures of tubes with blue caps. Both packages have Accessible Code on the front bottom right corner.
Two Japanese pharmaceutical products have pictures of containers of medicine, a dropper with a blue lid for one and a tub with a pink lid for the other. Both packages have Accessible Code on the front bottom right corner.
Two Japanese pharmaceutical products have green, white, and pink packaging with illustrations of a yellow stomach. Both packages have Accessible Code on the front bottom right corner.
Two Japanese pharmaceutical products have green packages with illustrations of stomachs. Both packages have Accessible Code on the front bottom left corner.

Our Message

A man holding his smartphone close to his ear with his eyes closed.

Since its establishment in April 2000, our company has been an active presence in the fields of multilingual website development and information technology. Regarding the Accessible Code, a project to improve information accessibility for people with visual impairments, it was developed over more than three years of community outreach in coordination with multiple organizations that provide support and advocacy for the blind. Our goal is to create a global standard of multilingual information source that will be accessible for all people, especially those with disabilities.

Interested in Accessible Code?

If you would like more information,please fill out our contact form to get in touch with us!

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