Finding products and accessing all of the relevant information about them can be challenging, especially in crowded supermarkets or at home if you are blind or have low vision. Thankfully, we are not alone in tackling this challenge and together with the team at Zappar, have deployed the first truly Accessible QR code reader onto the main menu of the Envision App, available on both iOS and Android platforms. This article contains the following:

1. Accessible QR Code Reader on the Envision App Demonstration
2. How to Access Accessible QR Codes 
3. Bringing Accessible QR Codes to Your Fingertips

Accessible QR Code Reader on the Envision App Demonstration

To learn how this feature works, please watch the following video:

Bringing Accessible QR Codes to Your Fingertips

Already featured on selected Unilever home care products, including Persil in the United Kingdom, AQRs are far more accessible than standard QR codes for identifying product categories and presenting detailed product-related information.

When used on the Envision App, AQRs enable people who are blind or have low vision to more easily locate products and access comprehensive details about them, such as instructions, ingredients, safety warnings, recycling information, and promotions. The information is presented in a structured format seamlessly interacting with the already-configured accessibility features on their smartphone, offering larger text and audio output options.

The technology behind Zappar’s Accessible QR solution, known as Zapvision, is at the heart of this innovation. It incorporates a unique D3 ‘dot-dot-dash’ pattern (patent pending) around a traditional QR code. Caspar Thykier, CEO at Zappar, shares our enthusiasm for this collaboration, explaining,

Naturally, we are excited to introduce the Accessible QR scanner to our app, providing our users with more choices on how to access product information on their terms. Our hope now is that other consumer goods companies join Unilever and adopt AQRs as the new accessibility standard.

Try the Envision App for yourself by downloading it from the App Store or Google Play Store by tapping here.