businessinfomag.uk magazine BULLETIN Samsung adopts design principles to support inclusivity Inaccessible designs are excluding millions of consumers from products, services and experiences, warns Samsung Electronics in a new report based on a OnePoll survey of 1,000 UK adults with invisible and visible disabilities. More than two thirds (68%) of those surveyed say they have felt excluded from products or services due to accessibility issues; 55% 04 B U L L E T I N don’t believe mainstream brands are invested enough in making products that cater to individual needs; and 54% don’t think companies understand which accessibility features are important for consumers with disabilities. For these reasons, 80% believe brands could be missing out on millions of pounds worth of business from consumers with disabilities. The spending power of disabled people and their households – the purple pound – amounts to as much as £274 billion a year. More than two thirds (72%) of those surveyed say they have abandoned a purchase due to a product’s lack of accessibility. Three quarters (76%) claim they would stay loyal to companies that offer a good range of accessible options and 56% say they would be willing to pay more for a fully accessible product. Samsung is looking to address these issues through four DEI design principles developed in collaboration with design leaders and over 500 members of its Global Employee Resource Groups as part of Project INKlusion. These are: 1 Stay Curious – create joy through play, learning and growing. 2 Challenge Assumptions – deconstruct the ‘normal’; solve problems not people. 3 Celebrate Diversity – amplify diverse stories; represent real life. 4 Be the Change – create with, not for; expand beyond the individual. The top tech innovations for people with a disability were named as virtual assistants, smart home devices and wearable devices for health monitoring. www.samsung.com/uk/ sustainability/accessibility … Workers urged to prioritise mental health and take more screen-breaks Workplace products provider AJ Products is urging desk workers to take more frequent breaks to combat stress and improve mental health, after a survey sent to more than 2,000 adults revealed that only 41.5% of workers with desk jobs take hourly breaks. In September, sports footwear company ASICS warned that workers’ mental health starts to decline noticeably after two hours of continuous desk-based working, with stress levels rising by 18% after four hours without a break. The good news, according to the ASICS State of Mind study involving 26,000 participants, is that the effects can be reversed with just 15 minutes of movement. Its Desk Break experiment, Time to take a break from technology There’s still time to take part in this year’s Techtimeout Tuesday on December 3. All you have to do is sign up at www.techtimeout. co.uk and pledge to take a break from technology, from as few as 10 minutes to the whole 24 hours. Stephanie Henson, Founder and Managing Director of techtimeout, founded the digital wellbeing day in 2020 after time spent on-screen running two technology businesses began to affect her wellbeing. She said: “The irony of a tech boss encouraging people to go offline isn’t lost on me! My experience of long days and nights glued to my screens impacted my mental health and productivity. Putting in place digital wellbeing practices turned that all around. “Think about the hours you spend every day staring at screens at work, being interrupted by notifications on your phone, and doomscrolling on social media into the night. We urge you to think about the impact that’s having on your mental and physical health. Regular breaks can reduce stress and anxiety, improve your sleep and focus, and make you more productive when you are on screens.” Businesses representing 2.1 million employees have already signed up to take part in this year’s Techtimeout Tuesday – 33% more than last year. These include Cadbury, Mental Health First Aid England, the MOD, DWP, Environment Agency, HM Land Registry, Royal Air Force, PwC, The Economist, Parcelforce Worldwide, Eurostar, plus several universities, councils and charities. Taking part in Techtimeout Tuesday is free, but businesses that want to take their involvement further can employ techtimeout to deliver digital wellbeing training and certification. www.techtimeout.co.uk Stephanie Henson
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