Tackling Visual Challenges:
The Current State of Co-Creation
– VISI-ONE Innovation Hub
Conference Report

Advances in screen readers (text-to-speech functionality) and the widespread adoption of smartphones have enabled visually impaired individuals to leverage technology in various areas, including navigation, financial services and payments, photography and photo management, and text recognition. While these technologies have expanded the range of activities that the visually impaired can perform independently, Nakane pointed out that it has also become more difficult to seek support from others. Kawamoto added that as visual technologies like AR and VR continue to develop and advance, visually impaired members of society are at risk of being left behind. All three speakers emphasized the challenges that enhanced security measures pose for visually impaired individuals; for example, identity verification based on image recognition or tracing passwords is extremely difficult, leading to situations where individuals cannot even access personal assets.

AI, on the other hand, has significant potential as a tool that can help visually impaired people overcome their challenges. While shopping, Kawamoto checks the prices of products using image recognition technology and has also made extensive use of AI for tasks such as creating company registration documents in the proper format. Nakane emphasized that the key will be how well he and others can articulate their needs and leverage AI to solve problems. Abdin argued that it is essential to develop services that not only meet the needs of the majority but also provide tangible benefits for visually impaired individuals.

Habutsu said that when employees watch blind soccer, they are amazed at how well the players can move despite not being able to see. In addition, holding business-related programs such as leadership camps for the visually impaired has attracted employee interest, creating opportunities to challenge the preconceived notion that visually impaired people tend to have a conservative mindset. Hasegawa, through his support for blind soccer, explained that he has come to recognize the importance of enhancing awareness and understanding of disabilities within the company. He has implemented programs such as a blind experience program for all employees and a kids' camp where employees spend time with visually impaired children. He added that when he asked a visually impaired person if they needed assistance, they replied, “Someone else from Santen just asked me the same thing,” which made him feel that the company’s ongoing efforts were bearing fruit.

Skylight Consulting and Santen are jointly involved in launching the VISI-ONE Innovation Hub, an initiative that creates opportunities for people of all backgrounds to come together and develop projects that address visual challenges. “I want to dispel the notion that social contribution doesn’t pay,” said Habutsu. By redefining visual challenges and taking a fresh look at the market, he believes it is possible to bring about significant change within society. Hasegawa noted that when it comes to investment, a single company can only go so far and described the VISI-ONE Innovation Hub initiative as the ideal approach.

Seyena-Susu introduced the educational and self-sufficiency support being provided in Ghana. There, tuition and dormitory fees are free for students attending schools for the blind, and some high schools allow attendance by both sighted and visually impaired students. Additionally, Ghana has introduced a system that supports economic self-sufficiency for visually impaired people by providing them with the necessary equipment and facilities for small-scale businesses. As a counterpoint, Antonel explained that while Argentina has no legal barriers preventing visually impaired people from accessing higher education, the number of such individuals actually pursuing higher education remains relatively low.

The low employment rate among visually impaired people is a major issue in both Ghana and Argentina. Antonel explained that in Argentina, only 25 percent of working-age people with disabilities are employed. Ghana has a mutual aid fund for visually impaired people who do not pursue higher education, while Argentina offers a pension for visually impaired people who are unemployed—but in both cases, the amounts available are quite small. Prejudice toward people with disabilities also contributes to low employment rates. Seyena-Susu shared the example of a friend who reserved a ride-sharing service only to have the reservation canceled by the driver when they learned that the passenger was visually impaired. Antonel added that employers are often biased against people with disabilities, believing they are “unable to work” or “underperform.”