Sony Group Corporation

05/15/2023 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/14/2023 20:37

Global Accessibility Awareness Day Message from Kenichiro Yoshida Chairman and CEO, Sony Group Corporation

Global Accessibility Awareness Day
Message from Kenichiro Yoshida
Chairman and CEO, Sony Group Corporation

May 15, 2023

The third Thursday of May each year is Global Accessibility Awareness Day. This is a day to talk, think and learn about accessibility and the people who need it.

Sony's Purpose, which expresses why we exist, is to "fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology." It is said that one in six people, more than 1.3 billion people, in this world have some kind of disability.

By combining creativity and technology, Sony Group is driving initiatives to improve accessibility so that people with diverse needs can enjoy our products, services, and experiences.

For example, in the area of games, we have rolled out "accessibility tags" in the PlayStation®Store so that you can easily see what accessibility features the game you want to play has. Project Leonardo, an accessibility controller kit for PlayStation®5 that we announced earlier this year, aims to make gaming more accessible for people as much as possible. We will continue to explore features that address the needs of a diverse range of gamers.

Screenshot of "Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut" game showing a list of accessibility tags.

Through Sony's digital imaging products, we also aim to contribute to expanding the creative potential of people with visual impairments. We offer people with low vision*1 our retinal projection camera kit, which consists of a Sony compact camera and QD Laser viewfinder that uses laser retinal projection technology*2. We have also implemented initiatives such as installing a "screen reader" function on the new vlog camera, taking on board feedback from employees and users with visual impairments.

Left: Retinal Projection Camera Kit, DSC-HX99 RNV Kit
Center: Image for use of DSC-HX99 RNV Kit
Right: Interchangeable Vlog Camera, ZV-E1

To further promote inclusive initiatives, it is also essential to enhance the awareness of each employee. At Sony, we are engaged in measures to raise this awareness, and by the end of the 2022 fiscal year, approximately 50,000*3 Sony Group employees had taken e-learning courses designed to deepen their understanding of accessibility. We plan to continue to provide such learning opportunities for our employees going forward.

Based on our corporate direction of "getting closer to people", we intend to deliver even greater accessibility, and through our diverse businesses contribute to even more people being able to share Kando (emotion).

  • *1 Low vision refers to a condition in which a person is visually impaired in a way that impacts their daily life, such as difficulty seeing, brightness, or a narrow range of vision that makes it difficult to walk, even when wearing glasses or contact lenses. The number of those affected is estimated to be up to 2.2 billion worldwide (source: World Health Organization) and 1.45 million in Japan (source: Japan Ophthalmologists Association).
  • *2 RETISSA NEOVIEWER is not a medical device. It is not approved by the FDA to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any specific condition. Depending on visual impairment, it may be difficult to recognize images (e.g., if the function of the retina is totally impaired). The name has been changed from the previous name "RETISSA SUPER CAPTURE". RETISSA and NEOVIEWER are registered trademarks or trademarks of QD Laser.
  • *3 As of March 2023.
  • *Inquiry form is operated by salesforce.com Co.,Ltd. which is the agent of Sony Group Corporation.