Accessibility of yerba mate packaging for people with visual disabilities

Abstract

In general, the information on the packaging is only visual. Thus, visually impaired people do not have direct access to the content described in the product and, therefore, may not be able to enjoy the information on the packaging. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate possibilities for improving the accessibility of packaging of food products for the consumer market composed of people with visual impairments. For this, a case study was carried out based on the analysis of yerba mate packaging for the production of chimarrão, available in markets in the municipality of Canoinhas-SC. In this analysis, the following packaging characteristics were observed: material (primary or secondary packaging); opening and closing mode; information recorded in bar codes; presence or absence of information in braille and QR Code. Most of the packages analyzed were considered not very accessible. As for reading additional information, the use of QR Code, for reading through smartphone applications, was considered the best alternative. In view of accessibility, with regard to the opening and closing system, the use of cellulosic packaging would be the most appropriate. Cellulosic packages are also the most suitable for inserting information in Braille, as they offer better tactile conditions. However, only 16.7% of the packages analyzed had this structure. The proposed suggestions are contributions to improving the accessibility of yerba mate packaging for people with visual impairments, but they do not exhaust all accessibility possibilities and needs. The inclusion process must be continuous.