Braille readability in packaging design of Egyptian pharmaceutical packaging for visually impaired

Abstract EN

According to the report of the World Health Organization in the celebration of World Sight Day in Egypt on 10 October 2013, Egypt has approximately 1 million people blind and 3 million visually impaired.

Braille used for the European pharmaceutical packaging is prescribed according to EU Directive 2004/27/EC, cell and dot dimensions are specified in the Standard EN 15823.

Braille is usually adapted to different users, languages, scope, media, and printing processes.

There is no any imperative legislation or standards about the application of Braille on packaging in Egypt.

The problem is the diversity in packages of different sizes products that need different sizes of fonts to suit them.

The research aims to determine the readability of different sizes of Braille font to be used on various sizes of packages.

This is important to provide comfort and safety for the visually impaired when dealing with products, it also helps companies to choose the appropriate application of Braille on the different products.

A test file with different Braille Normal text sizes was prepared using embossing technique.

The most important results found that the sizes ranging from 18 points of Braille Normal font can be used when necessary, and more preferably is the 20 points size is.

The default adjustment of the Braille Normal font gives greater distances than is required between words and between letters and these distances should be reduced beginning from the font size of 24 points.

The visually impaired ask for putting many of data on the packages.

A survey on the answers of the questionnaires and comments gave more information and directions for further research