QR Code Accessibility: What It Is and Why It Is So Important

Most topics I cover involve QR codes and their place in digital marketing. However, something not often discussed is whether QR code creation considers the needs of those with disabilities. 

After all, the world is more convenient thanks to technology like QR codes. So much information is out there, easily accessible with one touch of our fingertips. This technology should also include those with various health conditions or impairments.

I’d like to take this opportunity to talk about how these nifty black-and-white squares can help people with disabilities navigate our increasingly digital world and how we can achieve that.

What does QR code accessibility mean?

QR code accessibility refers to a QR code’s ability to be interacted with in a way that is inclusive to people from all walks of life, including those with various disabilities. 

As a smartphone-compatible technology, people with disabilities can simply scan it using their camera or a reliable QR scanner app to detect the QR code image even with shaky hands and decode its content quickly. 

QR codes can also hold different types of information, allowing people with reading problems to scan and access a website instead of typing the URL, visually impaired people to listen to audio descriptions, and people with hearing problems to see visual aids.  

How are QR codes accessible?

With QR codes being powerful communication tools, what makes them so accessible in the first place?

Fast and convenient

Scanning QR codes is quick and easy, eliminating the hassle of typing long URL addresses or manually searching for the information you need. 

Regarding accessibility, anyone can get information with one quick phone scan, no matter their condition.

Plenty of space for data

QR codes can contain 7,089 characters, making them excellent storage spaces for digital information. 

Whether in the form of links to web pages or text, you can count on QR codes to have everything you need in such small squares.

Scannable from any direction

This is one of the features that Masahiro Hara and Takayuki Nagaya, the inventors of the QR code, worked hard to figure out. 

Thanks to its position detection patterns, known as its “eyes,” QR code scanners can scan a code correctly. This allows users to scan and decode QR codes no matter how they are placed.

Things you need to do to make accessible QR codes 

QR codes are a great tool for improving access to information, but there are still ways to ensure accessibility. Here are a few things you should do when making QR codes accessible.

Choose high-contrast colors

When creating QR codes with a dynamic QR code generator online, you will always have the option to customize them. Some platforms offer a select number of colors, while others provide a color picker, allowing you to choose from the entire spectrum.

When choosing which colors to use, I strongly recommend colors that highly contrast one another. This makes it easier for people with vision impairment or low vision to identify your QR code. 

A good rule to follow is to choose a dark foreground and a light background, which will color the pattern of your code and the spaces between, respectively.

Be clear and concise

After choosing high-contrast colors, you should include a call to action at the bottom of your QR code. This will encourage people to scan it and tell them what they will get.

When choosing your CTA, it is important to be clear but concise, as users need to understand what they need to do immediately. 

You shouldn’t hassle them with long instructions, especially when you aim to make your QR code as accessible as possible.

Good CTAs for accessible QR codes include “Scan for Audio Guide” or “Scan for Menus” in QR code restaurants.

Print large QR codes

With your QR code customized with the right colors and a CTA, it’s time to print it. Before you do that, remember that the goal is to make it more accessible. Part of QR code best practices is considering what size you need to print it in. 

Larger QR codes are easier to see and identify, reducing the difficulty people with tremors or low vision can experience when looking to use your code. People using wheelchairs can also easily scan them without moving places.

Another factor to consider is the QR code placement. If they are hard to reach, like QR codes on billboards or large LED screens, a larger QR code can help people identify and scan them. 

However, making your QR codes too large can distract people from other elements on your display materials. With all these things to consider, finding the right balance is important when deciding the size of your QR code. 

Think about this before getting your QR codes printed. 

Always perform scan tests

You never want to release a “finished product” without checking if it works how you want it to. Knowing how QR codes are read, remember to perform scan tests to check their scannability and functionality.

Let’s say you have a QR code that directs users to an audio description of a particular item. A scan test can show you if the code can be scanned and if the audio works.

Use braille

A suggestion I would make when generating accessible QR codes is to incorporate braille into your QR code materials. This invention by the French educator Louise Braille is probably one of the most well-known innovations in accessibility.

You can use braille as a marker that tells people who cannot see how close the QR code is so they can scan it. The writing system can also be used to write a CTA that people with partial sight or blindness can read.

Real-life examples of QR codes making information more accessible

While I’ve explained how QR codes can improve accessibility for many people, other brands and organizations have figured it out and made them a reality. Here are just FIVE of the ones that exemplify QR code accessibility:

Kellogg’s powerful product packaging QR codes

This famous company is known for its wide range of cereals, snacks, and other food products. 

They are also known for launching an interactive packaging campaign to help people with visual impairment learn more about their products.

Their product packaging featured QR codes that directed scanners to audio descriptions of their cereals. This description included nutritional information and potential allergens. These codes were added to breakfast cereals sold across 60 stores in the UK.

Information access with TQ Braille QR codes

Arti Grafiche Parini, a Piedmont-based company, developed a tactile identification tool that blends braille with QR codes. This technology provides access to information through a combination of braille and audio. 

To make this even more accessible, screen readers such as VoiceOver (iOS) and TalkBack (Android) can read this aloud for users. What’s more, it supports five languages!

These QR codes were first used by Banca Sella, an Italian banking group that made history as the first bank in Europe to introduce the technology.

The bank used TQ Braille to provide information for customers with visual impairments to explore the bank’s products and services.

Audio QR codes in the National Museum of Scotland

To be more inclusive, the National Museum of Scotland incorporated accessible QR codes into its exhibits. These QR codes are embedded with pre-recorded guides highlighting the origins and history of each item on display.

Some even feature the work of great historical figures, such as Scottish novelist, poet, and historian Sir Walter Scott. A QR code for a pair of gilt brass rowel spurs directs scanners to readings of two of his poems, “The Riever’s Wedding” and “Kinmont Willie.” 

QR codes for sign language in Golconda Fort 

Visitors to the Golconda Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage site in India, can experience a tour of the historical fort with the help of sign language interpreters, should they need them. 

This is thanks to QR codes embedded with videos that tell the story of the fort with visual storytelling and sign language interpretation. 

Audio maps for the blind with NaviLens

We may not realize it, but traveling can be difficult for people with blindness. This is why NaviLens, an app that scans a unique kind of QR code, was launched. 

How does this help people travel? Well these unique codes are placed throughout a city’s public transportation system. When scanned, they provide vocal instructions that tell users how far they have to walk or where they have to make a turn.

How many QR codes are possible with this system? Apparently, over 2,000. NaviLens’s first big customer, Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona, used their signs in 159 subway stations and 2,400 bus stops.

They’re not the only ones using these QR codes either. The Spanish city of Murcia, the New York borough of Brooklyn, and the city of Los Angeles have also installed NaviLens signs in their public transportation systems. 

Make the world more accessible using a dynamic QR code generator

QR code technology is one of many innovations that have brought the world closer together. Thanks to many outstanding groups of people, they have also been utilized to create safer and more inclusive spaces for people with disabilities. 

With our progress to better our lives, it is important to recognize the need for QR code accessibility in our daily lives. The things that we find quick and convenient can be more difficult for others, so let’s make it easier for them with the tools we have. 

If you love to make or use QR codes, you can play your part, too. Just follow the best practices I’ve covered when generating your codes, and you will contribute to accessibility efforts all over the world.