IADD Unveils Braille Standard
March 2009
multipage
“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.
Package Printing, Second Edition