Sony is planning to make all its products and services more user-friendly for people with disabilities and the elderly.
According to United Nations, around 15% of the population or some 1 billion individuals live with disability. Sony is now targeting them to create more accessible products and drive brand engagement at the same time.
By March, the Sony Group affiliate will make “inclusive design” an in-house rule. The process will invite people with disabilities and the elderly to participate in the product planning and development stages to incorporate their input into the final production.
Remote controls, for instance, will label the four-colour buttons with text for people who are unable to distinguish colours.
The Japanese company is aiming for several hundred products such as televisions, audio equipment, cameras, and smartphones to reach compliance with Sony standards by 2025.
Some of Sony’s Walkman audio players already have a convex-shaped volume button to make it easier for touch control, and TVs can read subtitles out loud.
In addition, the company’s earphones offer audio map read-outs to aid people with sight impairments. Sony plans to add the enhanced accessibility features to all its products.
The company will also increase personnel helping with product development for impaired persons from three to nine, assigning them not only to major divisions like TVs and cameras but also to sections dealing with medical care, internet services, new businesses — a rarity among companies in Japan.
In the U.S., companies like IBM and Microsoft are establishing positions such as Chief Accessibility Officer to address these needs.
