– On World Sight Day, Haleon and Microsoft launched a joint effort to make health products more accessible to the blind and partially sighted using artificial intelligence (AI) technology that reads product labels aloud. increase.
– New extensions to the free Microsoft Seeing AI app help increase inclusivity and improve accessibility.
– US and UK consumers can hear important label information for over 1,500 everyday consumer health products including Sensodyne, Centrum, Emergen-C, ChapStick and Aquafresh.
REDMOND, WA—October 12, 2022— On Wednesday, Haleon, a global leader in consumer health, and Microsoft Corp. announced that people who are blind, partially sighted, or have difficulty reading product labels due to low literacy can get daily health benefits. announced a new collaboration to make . The two companies have jointly expanded the capabilities of the Microsoft Seeing AI app to provide consumers with more detailed label information for more than 1,500 of his Haleon products in the US and UK and around them.
Starting today with World Sight Day, people can hear packaging information through Seeing AI by scanning barcodes on Haleon products. This will read aloud important information such as the product name, ingredients and directions for use. Through Seeing AI’s enhanced capabilities, Haleon helps people take control of their health by listening to label information narrated through Seeing AI applications.
Hareon’s first Health Inclusiveness Index sets a new global standard for measuring health inclusiveness, and improving health inclusiveness requires individuals and communities to truly take care of their health. to give them the power and tools to put them in their own hands. Driven by the purpose of providing better everyday health with humanity, Haleon is committed to making healthcare more attainable, inclusive and sustainable. The Seeing AI collaboration with Microsoft is one of Haleon’s first new initiatives to champion health inclusivity. The Microsoft Seeing AI app offers the following benefits:
- One Million Americans Living with Blindness (CDC, “Common Eye Disease Fast Facts, https://www.cdc.gov/visionhealth/basics/ced/fastfacts.htm)”
- 12 million U.S. adults age 40 and older who are blind or have low vision (CDC, “Fast Facts of Common Eye Disorders”, https://www.cdc.gov/visionhealth/basics/ced/fastfacts.htm)
The Seeing AI app was developed by a team of Microsoft engineers led by project lead and engineering manager Saqib Shaikh, driven by a passion for using technology to improve people’s lives after losing their sight at the age of seven.
Saqib Shaikh, engineering manager at Microsoft, said: Watch the AI intelligent barcode scanner play voice cues to help you find barcodes. The information displayed for Haleon products comes directly from the manufacturer and provides a richer set of information, including directions for use and ingredients. This is invaluable for those who cannot read labels and leads to greater independence. ”
Haleon’s US Chief Marketing Officer Katie Williams said: Haleon has launched this collaboration with Microsoft via the Seeing AI app to make consumer health more accessible, achievable and inclusive. We are proud to help people who are blind or partially sighted improve their daily health. ”
The Seeing AI app can be downloaded for free from the Apple App Store and will be available for Android in the future. To use Seeing AI on Haleon products, you need to point your phone’s camera at the barcode on the package. The app will read out the product name and all the text on the packaging. Users can skip or go back to relevant sections they want to hear, such as which flavor or how to use the product. Haleon barcode capabilities are initially available in the US and UK today, with plans to expand globally and add languages in the future.
About Hareon
Hareon (NYSE: HLN) is the world’s leading consumer health company with a portfolio of brands that millions of people trust every day. In the United States, the organization employs more than 4,700 of his employees, united by Haleon’s powerful purpose to provide better daily health with humanity. Haleon’s products span his five categories: Oral Health, Pain Relief, Respiratory Health, Digestive Health and Wellness. Built on scientific expertise, innovation and a deep understanding of humans, Haleon’s brands include Abreva, Advil, Benefiber, Centrum and ChapStick.®, Emergen-C, Excedrin, Flonase, Gas-X, Natean, Nexium, Nicorette, Parodontax, Polident, Preparation H, Pronamel, Sensodyne, Robitussin, Theraflu, TUMS, Voltaren, etc. For more information about Haleon and its brands, please visit www.haleon.com or contact us. [email protected].
About the Haleon Health Inclusivity Index
Today’s announcement follows the launch of the Health Inclusion Index, developed by The Economist Impact and supported by Haleon. The world’s first global survey of 40 countries aims to remove the personal, social, cultural and political barriers that can prevent people and communities from achieving physical and mental health. measure how successful a country is in using policies to As part of his new three-year partnership between Haleon and The Economist Impact, he will increase the number of countries evaluated in this study to over 80 over the next two years. The report was commissioned by Hareon as part of its efforts to make better everyday health more attainable, inclusive and sustainable, reaching 50 million people a year by 2025 to help people We aim to increase opportunities for health participation.
About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation in the era of the intelligent cloud and intelligent edge. Its mission is to enable every individual and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
For more information, please press below.
Microsoft Media Relations, WE Communications for Microsoft, (425) 638-7777, [email protected]
Meghan Sowa, Haleon US, (919) 864-0953, [email protected]
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