Persil has introduced Accessible QR (AQR) codes to a range of detergent packs to offer blind and partially sighted people access to product information and an inclusive shopping experience in-store and at home.
The AQR codes will feature on the packaging of Persil’s capsules in plastic-free packaging and its Ultimate Liquids range.
Developed in partnership with augmented reality firm Zappar and in collaboration with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), the QR codes are accessible via smartphone.
They contain information about product, usage, safety and recycling in a structured way that has been developed with blind and partially sighted users in mind.
AQR codes also use the phone’s configured accessibility features to display information in the larger text or audio-described and voice-guided formats.
Persil said that the technology adds additional markings to existing QR codes to make the AQRs more detectable. It integrates a layer of accessibility using the existing code scheme without taking any additional space on-pack.
Unilever, which markets the Persil-branded products in the UK, RNIB and Zappar expect that the initiative will make accessible product information a standard for packaging design.
Unilever Laundry marketing director Nadine Slyper said: “For us, this is bigger than Unilever, and we see it as a first step in helping make packaging more accessible for everyone.
“We’re pleased to be exploring Accessible QR codes as a business and hope to see other companies and accessibility apps join in this conversation.”
Currently, the QR codes are detectable via the accessibility app Zapvision with integration into Microsoft Seeing AI, another accessibility app.
Unilever plans to work with other accessibility apps for wider integration of the technology and to expand its reach across various categories and nations.
The new enhanced codes on-pack of Persil’s capsules and its Ultimate Liquid range will appear by the end of this month.