How To Design For All

I work for the RNIB and we’re here to support 2 million people in the UK who live with sight loss. I’m the Accessibility Innovation Lead and my role is to work with brands from across the world to raise the bar with accessibility. When we talk about blind or partially sighted people in relation to design, we tend to focus on visual aspects and getting that right when and getting that right when when blind or partially sighted people can’t actually take in those visuals is a challenge, but it’s also something that can be used to enhance design, making it better for everybody. There’s reasons related to the health of the planet, but there are also commercial reasons - so how do we use the needs of disabled people to enhance greater design and actually create a more accessible and inclusive world..

Packaging is something we all interact with on a daily basis. Our research shows that 9 out of 10 blind and partially sighted people either found it difficult or impossible to read package information. That’s crazy, isn’t it? Package information is critical, from allergens to nutritional information, right down to information on recycling, which the UK’s 2 million blind or partially sighted people find it difficult to impossible to read.

We wanted to make a step change in this space to give people equal access information. Back in 2020, myself and my team worked with Kellogg’s on the world’s first integrated NaviLens code. In the corner of a box of cereal we have a colourful square about the size of a stamp and is the next generation of QR code. Using only a smartphone to detect this colourful code and I can go through all the information about the product at my leisure. Everything that’s on that box is given to me in an accessible format, and it’s simply a design change on a box.

We can consider the wider benefits as well. All this information is read out loud by the smartphone, so this is also really useful for people with low literacy levels. Or, for example, if English is not your first language, this product information can automatically convert to the native language of your smartphone. Where we started around accessibility and the needs of blind and partially sighted people, we’re now talking about a much bigger demographic.

Another aspect of design where the RNIB has worked with a very challenging industry was the energy sector and the widely rolled-out smart meter. The meter contains a visual display which wasn’t accessible, so we worked with the industry to create an accessible version of the smart meter - or at least one that would not necessitate a touchscreen but have actual buttons and enhanced visuals. We designed something called the accessible in-home display - you can now ask your supplier for one - to relay your energy consumption in a way that you want it to, I choose voice. This is all about giving the control and the ability to make decisions to the user. We know from a lot of a lot of the research and feedback that this device is just better for everybody - some people prefer the physical button, some prefer the clear visuals. Ultimately, what we’re talking about is enhanced design.

Both of these examples are designed from inception, which is useful in allowing us to to embed accessibility from the outset rather than it being a retrospective application - which can be a lot more cost effective. If we design for as many audiences as we can from the start, we tend to get it right for many more people, and they can be simple changes.

Marc Powell, Strategic Accessibility Lead at RNB

Marc is a passionate advocate and evangelist within the world of accessibility, having represented the RNIB since retiring from his professional sporting career as a Paralympic judo athlete. Marc is the Strategic Accessibility Lead at RNIB and works closely with start-ups and global organisations to raise the bar when it comes to accessibility and inclusion, creating sustainable long lasting social change. He has a genetic eye condition called Cone Rod Dystrophy, which has affected him since birth. He has been featured in many social media campaigns which aim to educate the public on the spectrum of sight loss and takes every opportunity to raise awareness of visual impairment.