Dr. Sabrina Segal

The European Union’s 10 million blind folk have the government to thank for Braille labeling on prescription drugs and over the counter medical products. This visionless group now has a fool proof way of reading medicines. That is, as long as they’re familiar with Braille.

The logistics behind creating labels for the blind and visually impaired has fostered innovation and has set marketers ablaze with the question, “Why stop at medicines, what about other products?

Ever drink sour milk? Yuk! The Italian Association for the Blind reached out to the country’s milk producers and asked for Braille expiration dates on dairy products. Two companies, Brescia Dairy and Franzia mozzarella, both report happily that their market share of blind has skyrocketed.

While Braille medical labeling became law in Europe in 2005, French vintner, Capoutier has embossed wine labels with Braille since 1997 and now sells two million Braille-labeled bottles a year.

Although Europe leads the world in Braille labeling, Japan’s Kirin beer and other brewers are stamping the Braille version of the word “alcohol” on cans to help differentiate beer from soda and other canned beverages.

“If Kirin was really smart, they’d put the Braille labels on their beer vending machines before competing brands do!” Japan already has Braille on the handrails of its underground subways-“just one way the visually impaired are given extra consideration in Japan.”

The U.S. has no laws in place requiring Braille on product labels. Should manufacturers look more closely at this value added feature? Alongside Baby Boomers, won’t the visually impaired and blind population grow, increasing demand for Braille labels on all types of products?

Photo Credit: Dr. Sabrina Segal