Product Design for Everyone – A Guide to Accessibility in the Food Industry

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 06. 26. 11:22

Equal opportunities begin in everyday life – following this principle, the first comprehensive Hungarian guide on the accessibility of food products was published. The professional document entitled “Accessibility in the Food Industry”, published as a joint project of the Hungarian Logistics Association (MLE) and the Vodafone Hungary Foundation, aims to provide manufacturers, packaging technology companies and distributors with practical guidance for developing products that are easily accessible to people with disabilities, the elderly and people with low literacy skills.

Beyond legal compliance

About 1.2 million people in Hungary live with some kind of disability, including people with visual, hearing and mobility impairments, as well as people with intellectual disabilities. The document highlights that accessibility is not only a matter of legal compliance, but also a business and social responsibility. Companies can gain a competitive advantage if their products and services are truly accessible to everyone.

A practical guide from packaging to sales

The guide contains detailed suggestions on how to make food packaging and information more accessible. These include, for example:

using contrasting colours and large text for the visually impaired,
tactile markings (e.g. Braille) on packaging,
simple, understandable language, supplemented with icons and pictograms,
easy-to-open packaging, which can also be used by people with reduced mobility,
as well as combining auditory and visual information in the sales process on interfaces.

The authors also specifically address the accessibility of digital channels, such as the usability of web stores and mobile applications with screen readers or magnifying software.

Examples and good practices

The publication not only makes recommendations, but also shows with domestic and international examples how these aspects can be implemented in practice. They mention brands that have already introduced Braille inscriptions on their packaging or have introduced redesigned, easy-to-open boxes based on feedback from their elderly consumers.