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A New Take on Reading the Label

Categories: Blind or Visually Impaired

January 6, 2011 by Doug Sprei (LAE)
What's inside that package? A new go-to site for blind and visually impaired consumers gives them accessible insights before they hit the grocery aisles or drug store. Our staffer Kristen Witucki gives a personal review. Horizons for the Blind, an organization based in the Chicago area, has launched a terrific project to improve the lives of people with visual disabilities. Woman shopping in grocery aisleDirections for Me is described as "a one stop source for accessible packaging information." It contains directions, ingredients, nutritional facts, warnings and other important packaging information for thousands of grocery, health and beauty products. You can read many great testimonials on their website and a glowing review in the Matilda Ziegler Magazine. I can only add my voice to the many hurrahs for this laudible effort.
The site is easy to use and contains several subcategories of product information under the broad headings of "food," "health and beauty," and "other." It’s very simple to search for specific words or phrases. Furthermore, you can browse the site by topic to find out about new products.
As a new mother, now I can actually research baby food right down to the packaging before I purchase it. I’ve never walked down the aisle of a grocery store with full knowledge of the ingredients, product information and marketing. Now I can do it virtually and make an informed decision.
Horizons for the Blind is clearly an organization with respect for its clients and patrons. They make it very easy to contact them. But I’ve saved the best for last — the best for me, because I am a lover of language.
According to Horizons for the Blind, this site is targeted to a “large and often ignored market.” I have almost never heard of the blind/visually impaired community referred to as a large market; it was truly refreshing!
Just like we strive to do at RFB&D, this site has the potential to help everyone from the congenitally blind to those with low vision to those with progressive or age-related visual impairments. Many voices have been heard!

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