Kellogg's Adds NaviLens Technology To US Packaging To Assist Blind and Low Vision Consumers
by Rudy Sanchez on 12/19/2022 | 2 Minute Read
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 12 million Americans aged 40 or older have a visual impairment. Having a low vision or a total loss of vision makes tasks the sighted take for granted a burden, like shopping for groceries. Packaging is rarely designed with consideration for accessibility, not factoring for consumers with vision loss, for example.
Kellogg's is taking a further step forward in serving consumers with low vision or total blindness by expanding its use of NaviLens to the US market after piloting the use of the NaviLens technology in the UK.
NaviLens’s ddTags are designed for the visually impaired and can be detected using smartphones. ddTags have a 160-degree field of view, and the accompanying app can scan the user’s environment for a code, providing audio and vibrating cues to assist people with finding the tag. Once found, the ddTag provides nutritional, allergen, and other important information via the accessibility tools built into modern smartphones.
Additionally, Kellogg's plans to implement the NaviLens technology in all its corporate facilities by the end of 2023 to make the locations more accessible for low-vision and blind employees. Kellogg's currently uses NaviLens technology at its Battle Creek headquarters in Michigan.
“Despite my progressive loss of vision and hearing, I have built a rich, fulfilling career at Kellogg's. The company lives its mission and is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion,” said Bethany Foor, a member of Kellogg's corporate affairs team and a co-chair of Kapable, via press release. Kapable is the brand's internal employee group devoted to ensuring the organization is accessible and inclusive. “I'm honored to be able to play a part in making some of Kellogg's most iconic products more accessible, and grateful for my colleagues and our leaders helping us create better days for the blind and those with vision loss.”
NaviLens ddTags will be added to popular Kellogg's products like Corn Flakes, Special K Original, Crispsix, and Rice Krispies in the US. More information on Kellogg’s NaviLens program is available here.
Images courtesy of Kellogg's.