Accessible beer. Let’s cheers to that.
Australian brewers Akasha and Reckless Brewing Co. have launched a new accessible beer can for their next craft beer, Nas XPA, named after ABC disability journalist Nas Campanella.
The beer can has been thoughtfully designed to be high contrast and also includes braille for the blind and low vision community.
Head brewer Grace Fowler told Talking Vision that she wanted the beer to be enjoyed by all, not by some.
“We create these beautiful images and labels and just kind of assume that everyone can enjoy them,” she told host Tess Herbert.
“We wanted to make sure that it was readable.”
Photo: The Nas XPA beer can, with braille dots indented on the can.
In collaboration with Vision Australia, the brand managed to include a braille label and tactile devices like a raised box around a QR code to help people with alt text.
The label is also designed in high contrast for those with low vision, utilising a red and green dots that spell out Nas XPA.
The limited-edition beer is also in celebration of International Women’s Day, with the recipe hand-made by Grace herself, and naming rights given to the popular Australian journalist who is also blind.
Nas actually reads out the alt text of the beer label that can be accessed through the QR code.
The Nas XPA beer is on sale and can be bought online and in stores in NSW and Victoria.
Vision Australia offers brands print accessibility training and can consult on converting standard printed materials to accessible formats, including offering braille business cards.
You can obtain a quote by filling out this form
Listen to the full interview in the player below:
Talking Vision is a weekly discussion of issues relating to blindness and low vision.
It includes stories of inspiration and achievement and information on services for the community.
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