Accessible Cosmetic Packaging for Visually Impaired and Blind Consumers | Shivani
Welcome
Hello and thank you for joining me in my virtual exhibit on accessible cosmetic packaging for visually impaired (VI) and blind consumers.
The goal of this exhibit is to offer paths for visitors to get a knowledge of accessible and inclusive cosmetic package design, as well as to overcome the stigmatized concept of VI and blind user’s cosmetics use. It aims to change people’s perspectives and inspire them to be inclusive.
Introduction
The World Health Organization reports, as of 2020, about 2.2 billion people live with some level of vision impairment, 36 million of whom are diagnosed as blind or visually impaired. As of 2018, 33 million Americans (or about 13% of all adult Americans) reported they either “have trouble” seeing, even when wearing glasses or contact lenses, or that they are blind or unable to see at all (NHIS, 2018). Still, only a handful of beauty brands have invested in products and packaging that are designed specifically for the VI (Sicardi, 2019). The total disposable income (post-tax) for working-age individuals with disabilities is nearly $500 billion. The total discretionary income is $200 billion (Yin et al., 2018). These figures are indicative of the large potential clientele base of people want to buy personal care or beauty products but are unable to do it in the best way due to inaccessible products and method of purchasing the same. Cosmetics have historically played a role in “women’s consumer culture (as) a means of self-reinvention and transformation and allowed women to articulate different aspects of the self.” (Jacson, L. 2019). However, there is not much reporting on cosmetics for disabled individuals, and much less on VI and blind individuals. This could be due to the specific challenges each disability group has and each individual’s unique experience with cosmetics.
The universal presence of braille in packaging is beneficial for the visually impaired. Blind persons would have a difficult time analyzing what is around them if there were no braille labels on products, especially when shopping in supermarkets. They not only have trouble navigating the store, but they also have trouble identifying things/products (Yuan et al, 2019). The issue does not go away once you leave the store. VI or Blind consumers who have bought products that are similar in shape, size, or other characteristics, might continue to have trouble at home distinguishing them or even remembering what products were bought (“The Canadian Federation of the Blind”, n.d). VI/Blind consumers have the additional tasks of labeling their products after purchase to know what and where they were placed (Yuan et al, 2019). Incorporating braille on packaging can make their task of differentiating easier without any hassle and will enhance their shopping experience (Chadwick, 2010).
However, the use of braille on the packaging is not impactful as believed. According to Statistics Canada, approximately 3% of Canadians above the age of 15 years old are visually impaired (Statistics Canada, 2016) and not even 10% of them can read braille (Mulholland, 2010). About 0.3% of Canada’s VI population can actually read braille. This is a relatively small amount of people who would benefit from the use of braille in packaging.
Meet Shivani
Inclusive Industrial Designer
Bombay, India
She/Her
shivani.gulati@student.ocadu.ca
Shivani Gulati (she/her) is an Industrial Designer from Mumbai, India. She is currently studying in her second year of the Masters in Inclusive Design program at OCAD University, where she is concentrating her efforts on providing consumers with inclusive product experiences.
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Shivani became interested in inclusive design while studying Industrial Design at the MIT-Institute of Design in Pune, India. Her experience in cosmetic packaging, interior decor lighting, and product design has led her to expand her abilities to include accessible and inclusive design in her current work.
