HD Barcode aims to improve the accessibility of on-pack product information with HDInfoCode, an advanced 2D code designed for consumers with reading challenges, visual or hearing impairments, and more.
The National Federation of the Blind reports that 1.3 million Americans are legally blind. According to the U.S. Department of Education, 48 million seniors struggle with medicine labels, while AARP says that 90 million Americans read below a 5th-grade level (typically the reading level of a 10 to 11-year-old).
While the European Union requires all medicine packaging to include Braille, and the United States has implemented the Americans with Disabilities Act, HD Barcode alleges that not all U.S. manufacturers adhere to the legislation.
Additionally, the on-pack information written in Braille is often limited to the product name, its required dosage, and other basic details; and only a small percentage of visually impaired individuals even read Braille, which limits its success as an accessible solution.
This means that millions of Americans struggle to read food and prescription labels, which raises safety risks.
“Medication safety should not depend on literacy or eyesight,” said Gary Parish, managing director of HD Barcode LLC. “With HD InfoCode — the most advanced 2D code in the world — tactile cues like Braille or raised dots, validation by blind organizations, and the assistance of Hewlett Packard Indigo Advanced Digital Printing technology, every patient can safely understand their prescriptions once manufacturers adopt this standard with FDA support.”
Apparently, HDInfoCode is validated by organizations supporting the elderly and individuals with disabilities and reading challenges. Accessible to consumers through a free public app or in-store PC applications, it can be accessed offline and is recommended for use in medicine and food packaging.
The code is described as “a memory stick on paper” and believed to be cost-effective to print, all while providing more detailed information than Braille can – for example, complete directions for the product’s use.
Parish emphasizes that a text comparison programme is capable of detecting missing or added content in the code, even when the digital and printed formats are not identical – ensuring that HD InfoCode matches the approved instructions and meets the FDA’s regulatory guidelines.
The code can also be embedded with anti-counterfeiting measures and a secure secondary message that only authorized smartphones can decode; this is hoped to strengthen supply chain integrity and combat counterfeit products without compromising accessibility.
A third code allows Deaf or hard-of-hearing users to scan their packaging at an in-store PC reader and unlock a video in American Sign Language (ASL), with Deaf Link indicating that American Sign Language is the third most used language in the U.S. and the common language of the Deaf community.
Reportedly, HD InfoCode can be created and verified in most languages for worldwide use. It is believed to embed 225 x more data in almost any language and can be shaped or printed to fit various packaging formats.
It also offers features like multi-language support, secure authentication, voice readouts, and even tactile markers like Braille or raised dots to locate the code.
HD Barcode urges food and pharmaceutical manufacturers, alongside the FDA, to adopt HD InfoCode as a recognized labelling standard.
Back in 2024, Roland DG revealed that 74% of visually impaired adults surveyed in the UK had picked up the wrong product whilst shopping due to inadequate packaging guidance. 31% of respondents expressed concern that they could not access key information about ingredients and allergens due to a lack of Braille or QR codes; in fact, 31% had picked up a product they couldn’t eat due to dietary requirements, and 23% had accidentally bought a product they were allergic to.
In response, Roland DG called upon brands to ensure inclusivity by introducing solutions like Braille or QR codes. Several have answered the call, including Strongbow; the company partnered with marketing agency Purple Goat to gauge the benefits of adding a NaviLens QR code to its packaging – a move hoped to help blind and partially sighted shoppers find and understand the product.
Conversely, Gary Parish warns that a single false QR code printed onto a pack could take a patient to a fraudulent site and introduce a “catastrophic risk”.
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