Being able to read the packaging of everyday items is essential to many people.
Think about what you read on packs and what you would do if you couldn't read it?
Take the gamble - pineapple, beans or dog food?
You've just got in from a busy day at work. You're late home and are going out with friends tonight.
First, you decide to have a quick meal of beans on toast. But how do you know that you're about to open a tin of baked beans and not the pineapple chunks or dog food?
Then you go to put your eye drops in. But how do you know it's the right bottle? And that's paracetamol that you're about to take for your headache?
Once that's done, you freshen up. But how do you know that you're about to spray deodorant and not shaving gel?
There are health and safety reasons
It's important to know the best before dates on food, and how to cook or defrost it properly.
Some people need to know salt and sugar content. Other people need allergy advice about wheat or nuts. Or to find out if the product is suitable for vegetarians or what the calorie or fat content is.
And when it comes to other products, we need to know which medication we've picked up, or how to use a new cleaning or beauty product.
But how do you find out this information if you can't read the print on the pack?
When you consider our ageing population and the related increase in age-related sight loss, including conditions relating to diabetes, being able to read packaging becomes more important.
Our packaging improvement project
RNIB want people to be able to shop independently and have personal control of their money.
Therefore, we've set up a specific project with the aim of improving packaging.
What we've done so far
To date, we've carried out
-
Literature Review Research - that is, we've found out what's already been done so we can build on it
-
Focus Group Research and Telephone Surveys - we've asked people what they think about packaging, what the problems are and what their current copying mechanisms are. We also had a sighted focus groups and actually found that many of the same problems where expressed by sighted shoppers who struggled with small print.
-
Priority List - we've put together a priority list reflecting what information is needed on packaging, and what people are currently doing to cope with the barriers they are facing
What we'll be doing next
The next step is to identify partners who can help us to identify solutions that will work in the mainstream environment. We need to find solutions that work across the complex distribution chains that exist in retail.
We're reviewing potential high and low technology solutions that could be integrated into the supply chain and be a way of capturing and conveying information in an accessible way.
Our high technology solution has passed the first trial phase with flying colours and is ready to be presented to industry.
But we're still identifying and assessing lower technology solutions too.
How can I help?
If you are a packaging expert, part of the supply chain or a company that uses packaging for any product including food, beverage, pharmaceutical, cleaning or beauty products, then we'd love to hear from you. You can call us on 01733 37 53 45 or email us at busdev@rnib.org.uk
We'll keep updating this page as the project progresses so keep checking back, or get in touch to find out what we're up to!