[nfbmi-talk] FW: New braille labeling standards for packaging

[Fred Wurtzel]

This looks promising.  I wonder when or if it will become available.

 

Warm Regards,

 

Fred

 

  _____  

From: Michigan Comm for the Blind Vision 20/20 List
[mailto:MCB2020-L at LISTSERV.MICHIGAN.GOV] On Behalf Of bkmabma at yahoo.com
Sent: Friday, April 03, 2009 9:05 PM
To: MCB2020-L at LISTSERV.MICHIGAN.GOV
Subject: New braille labeling standards for packaging

 

 

PRESS RELEASE -- Converting Magazine, 3/19/2009 9:15:00 AM
 To better satisfy the needs of the visually impaired in North America,
 the International Association  of Diecutting and Diemaking (IADD), located
in Crystal Lake, IL, has
 created "Can-Am Braille," a set
 of guidelines and recommendations for the use of braille on packaging.
 The IADD worked in conjunction with the Braille Authority of North
 America (BANA) over the past 18
 months to develop the standard, whose official release is set for
 Friday, May 8, at the 2009
 IADD.FSEA Odyssey in Atlanta, GA, USA. An informative technical
 workshop, "Let Your Fingers Do The
 Talking: Braille on Folding Cartons" will review the North American
 standard in detail. All
 participants will receive a copy; further distribution will take place
 postworkshop through the IADD
 and BANA websites to reach out and bring together the printing,
 paperboard packaging and
 pharmaceutical industries. The standard has been reviewed and received
 its final approval by the
 IADD Executive Committee and Board of Directors in January 2009.
 "The use of braille in packaging will continue to increase over the next
 several years," predicts
 Stephen Brighton, IADD Braille Task Force Chair, "following European
 pharmaceutical and food product
 packaging trends in Europe."
 Brighton explains that in October 2005, a previous directive of the
 European Commission regarding
 the use of braille for pharmaceutical packaging was implemented as law
 for newly approved medicinal
 products. To address these requirements, the European Carton
 Manufacturers Association worked
 closely with national carton associations from Austria, Belgium,
 Denmark, France, Germany, Italy,
 Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom
 to develop a standard that is
 being used as a set of guidelines and recommendations for the use of
 braille on packaging. Can-Am
 Braille is derived from this standard.
 Already the Canadian and U.S. packaging markets are experiencing the
 effects of the European
 requirements, with some larger pharmaceutical companies incorporating
 braille on their packaging for
 the last few years. It is essential that a common standard be in place
 to ensure that blind and
 visually impaired individuals will be able to benefit from its use. When
 asked why the IADD chose to
 base its standard on a European one, Brighton elaborates, "There is
 nothing about braille that we
 can hold autonomous. We have had the opportunity to collaborate with
 BANA to marry their knowledge
 of braille with our knowledge of what's practically possible when
 applying braille to paperboard
 substrates. What we are really dealing with is the independence of the
 visually impaired. Our
 responsibility is to ensure that their independence is respected and
 that we, as an industry, do the
 best that we can to produce pharmaceutical, fast food or other types of
 paperboard packaging with
 the best quality braille for readability and continuity through the use
 of the standard. Otherwise
 the purpose of producing the braille and the resources it takes in these
 economic times ends up
 being an exercise in futility for everyone involved."
 "We are looking forward to the implementation of this standard." said
 Judy Dixon, chair of the
 Braille Authority of North America, "It will have the effect of making
 more braille labels to help
 blind people identify the packages in their everyday lives and this will
 be a very positive step
 forward." Interestingly, no government legislation similar to that of
 Europe is currently proposed
 in the U.S. or Canada that would require pharmaceutical packaging to
 have braille on it. The
 original concept of creating a North American standard stemmed from a
 braille workshop and
 discussions at an IADD Can-Am Chapter meeting. Some members had
 participated in a braille workshop
 at the IADD Annual Meeting in Switzerland in November 2006. It was felt
 that a proactive approach on
 the part of industry to develop and implement its own standard would be
 a way of reducing or even
 eliminating legislative intervention. This has allowed the standard to
 be developed in a time frame
 that fosters continuity, making it more of an international standard,
 and that ensures it will work
 from a practical standpoint.
 The IADD Board approved the Can-Am Braille standard in January 2009. The
 BANA Board reviewed and has
 approved the IADD Can-Am Braille standard in November 2008.
 Contact: Jill May, IADD Chapter Relations Coordinator, International
 Association of Diecutting and Diemaking. Phone 1-815-455-7519; Fax
 1-815-455-7510; Email
 jmay at iadd.org
 .
 For more information about the IADD, visit
 www.iadd.org
 .
 For more information about BANA, visit
 www.brailleauthority.org
 
 
 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

 

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