Building a Brand for Vision Beyond Sight

Truly Inclusive Brand with Digital Accessibility

In a world driven by visual communication, designing a brand that resonates with everyone, is a thoughtful gesture and it provides a step towards genuine inclusivity. When brands focus only on appearance, they unintentionally leave out millions of people who are blind. Consider trying to shop online without clear descriptions or accessible features, it’s frustrating and isolating.

Nexus Inclusion have analysed how isolating some digital content can be, and we believe digital branding should be focused on making connections, rather than just being visually appealing. It’s about creating meaningful experiences that everyone can access, understand and engage with, regardless of different abilities.

Here we are going to discuss and understand a brand that is digitally accessible to people with visual disabilities by highlighting why it matters and how businesses can lead the way.

Why Inclusive Branding Matters?

If we can understand branding from a customer’s point of view, it’s about connecting with the brand through sound, feel, and the stories they share. Yet unintentionally, many brands focus only on visuals like logos and taglines, which can cause people with disabilities to have a less than positive experience.

Ignoring this audience limits your brand’s reach and sends the message that their experience doesn’t matter. Smart businesses embrace digital inclusivity. It helps build stronger connections, fosters loyalty, and shows customers they truly care. By making everyone feel valued, brands can create meaningful relationships that go beyond just visuals.

Accessible Branding for People with Disabilities

Building a brand should be more than just visual. It’s about connecting through senses like sound, touch, and imagination, which creates a digital experience that can be inclusive and accessible for all.

Next, we focus on the points which will make the brand digitally inclusive.

Let your Brand be Heard!

‘Sound’ often becomes a primary way to connect with the world, for individuals who are blind. Let your brand be heard by making audio branding a powerful tool.

By using music, voice tones, and sound effects, brands can create memorable identities that resonate deeply.

For example, consider the iconic tone “ta-dum” that plays before every Netflix show is instantly recognisable, evoking excitement and familiarity without any visuals.

Similarly, apps or websites can use subtle unique sound effects to guide users. Always keep in mind that clear and friendly voiceovers in videos make content more digitally inclusive. Impactful Audio branding enhances digital accessibility and builds emotional connections, by ensuring everyone can engage with a brand meaningfully.

Bringing Brands to Touch!

When visual components cannot be accessed, ‘touch’ becomes a meaningful way to connect with a brand. Distinctive branding focuses on creating physical elements that people can feel and recognise, making experiences more inclusive.

To support people who are visually disabled, companies like P&G and Coca-Cola have implemented Braille labelling on their products, making item selection in the store more accessible.

People who are born with sight, but in later life go blind, often do not know Braille, so embossed designs offer an alternative experience. Similarly, textured logos or embossed designs on business cards and tactile signage on physical products can enhance digital accessibility more inclusive way.

By engaging a sense of touch, brands can create memorable, inclusive experiences that ensure everyone, regardless of ability, can connect with their products and messaging.

Paint Pictures with Words!

Words have the power to paint lively pictures, especially for those who rely on descriptions to connect with a brand.

Let’s consider Leah, a girl who has a visual disability, and is shopping for shoes on a website. As she searches the product descriptions, she finds the information lacking and unhelpful.

She shares, “When I clicked on the shoe, the description didn’t give me enough details to decide. It just said, ‘Our shoes look great and stylish,’ but that doesn’t tell me anything useful.”

Instead of plain statements, a brand could describe the shoes in a way that helps Leah visualise and connect with the product.

For example, they might say, “These shoes are made with soft, breathable leather, have a cushioned insole for all-day comfort. It has a black lace, blue stitching, and feature a lightweight, flexible light brown sole for easy movement.”

This kind of detailed, sensory description would help Leah to create a picture in her mind and empower her to make an informed choice due to feeling digitally included in the shopping experience.

The above approach makes the experience more digitally inclusive and creates a deeper memory connection. Thoughtful descriptions in marketing, product details, or storytelling ensure everyone can connect with and appreciate what a brand has to offer.

Why Should Your Brand Care?

When your brand is accessible to everyone, you immediately open doors to new customers who might otherwise have missed your message.

A digitally inclusive approach promotes a loyal community, as customers truly get connected with brands that ensure everyone feels included and welcomed.

It also makes your website easier for search engines to find, naturally boosting your online visibility and engagement.

Plus, designing brand beyond visibility protects your business from potential legal issues related to compliance with accessibility laws.

Brands should always remember that customers notice and appreciate when they put in the effort to promote inclusion of everyone, regardless of their abilities.

Start Your Digitally Inclusive Branding Journey

To make your brand digitally accessible, start by evaluating your current assets like your website, and marketing to identify areas for improvement.

By including people with disabilities in your digital planning, helps to make sure your ideas work for them. Always ask the people who will be using your product “what they think while using it?”. Real-life experience matters most when making helpful changes.

Educate your team on digital accessibility best practices to ensure everyone is aligned and informed. Collaborating with experts can also provide guidance and expertise for the efficient process. Even small steps, such as adding descriptive language or improving digital features, can have a significant impact.

For example, many brands have transformed their customer experience by making simple adjustments, like adding descriptive text to images or using more digitally inclusive language, which ensures everyone feels valued and included.

Why Nexus Inclusion?

At Nexus Inclusion, we believe that accessibility is about crafting brands that resonate with everyone.

We support businesses to assess and enhance their digital accessibility by creating impactful audio branding strategies. We refine marketing content with effective descriptions by ensuring digital platforms are friendly enough for people who are visually disabled.

Our goal is to build a digital platform where no one feels excluded. Designing for digital inclusivity is about building meaningful connections and it’s the foundation of the digital world.

Let’s create brands with Nexus Inclusion that everyone can experience, enjoy, and remember. When your brand is digitally accessible, you’re sending a powerful message: “We See You, We Hear You, and You Matter.”