Aurika marks self adhesive labels with relief in Braille legible for blind and partially-sighted

Considering recommendations and requirements given by European Union directives in packaging pharmacy products, label producer Aurika has presented to market self-adhesive label in Braille. Purpose of this decision is to supply product information for blind or partially-sighted consumers.

Braille alphabet, created by Louis Braille in France in 1825, is the internationally widespread reading and writing system for blind and partially-sighted people. Braille consists of arrangements of dots which make up the letters of the alphabet, numbers and punctuation marks, different warnings.

In accordance with European Union 2001/83/EC and 2004/27/EC directives 56a article requirements, medical packages must contain general title of product, title of product, function and similar information in Braille. “At producer's discretion it is recommended to supply in Braille also additional information: expiry date, producer's title, instruction of use etc”, - affirms Aurika's sales executive Lina Kvietkauskaitė. European producers of pharmacy products observe provisions of directives already from 2005.

European Union directives requirements are not applied to products designed directly to medical institutions, medical professionals, packages of prompt use: nest panel, ampoules, - instruction in Braille has to be supplied only in a secondary packaging. In case where there is no secondary packaging, eg. large volume bottles, it is possible to fix a self adhesive Braille label around the bottle during the manufacturing process.

Encouraged by pharmaceutical industry producers to provide information in Braille on medical products, Aurika intends to produce self adhesive Braille labels also for food, beverages, chemics and other products. In such a way a possibility for blind and partially-sighted consumers to read basic product related  information would be given .