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Sony Corporation will participate in the 40th CSUN Assistive Technology Conference to be held in Anaheim, California, USA from March 10 to 14, 2025. CSUN is an international conference that introduces the latest products, services, and initiatives with accessibility as the keyword. Each year, CSUN attracts many users with disabilities, leading companies as well as governments and industry experts.
Sony is enhancing the accessibility of our products, services, and experiences and through our commitment to an inclusive future, we aim to create a world where everyone belongs and share Kando (emotion). As part of this initiative, Sony has been participating in CSUN since 2018.
At CSUN, Sony will exhibit products which has been designed with accessibility in mind. Sony will also host a session introduicng our accessibility initiatives.
BRAVIA™'s accessibility features continue to evolve to allow more people to use their TVs independently. Improvements are informed by research conducted with people with disabilities. In addition, new functions have been added to allow TVs to be shared with family and friends and continue to be a source of entertainment / emotion (Kando).
These soundbars and home theater systems enhance the immersiveness and clarity of TV sound. At Sony, alongside our efforts with BRAVIA TVs, we are committed to improving accessibility through our audio products, focusing on ease of installation and connection, daily usability, and voice clarity in our soundbars. In recent years, we have also launched the "BRAVIA Connect" smartphone app. This app allows users with visual disabilities to operate compatible TVs and soundbars using screen reader functionality, leveraging smartphones as vital accessibility infrastructure.
Sony launched* two truly wireless earbud models and one portable wireless speaker model as part of the LinkBuds series.
The LinkBuds series seamlessly connects digital content and real life so that users can comfortably listen to content while doing something else at the same time with natural-sounding ambient noise.
Sony will exhibit the LinkBuds Open at CSUN.
LinkBuds Open truly wireless earbuds have a ring-shaped driver unit and a structure that does not cover the ears. Since the ears are not blocked even while wearing the earbuds, users can obtain all kinds of information through the earbuds and enjoy music and other entertainment at the same time as natural ambient sound. The design incorporates feedback from users with visual disabilities.
In Japan, Sony is conducting development including field evaluations by people with visual disabilities. With an open-ring design, LinkBuds Open allows you to listen to the Eye Navi* voice guidance while naturally hearing the sounds around you. (Computer Science Institute Co., Ltd.)*. This app is available only in Japan.
Due to changes in regulations by the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in 2022, the sales of over the counter (OTC) hearing aids are spreading in the new consumer sales channel as well as in the conventional sales channel via audiologists or hearing instrument specialists.
Sony has been paying attention to feedback from users through interviews since before the development process and conducting joint development in partnership with WS Audiology. We will exhibit the CRE-E10, which proposes a new style of wear with an appearance that diverges from conventional hearing aids, and the minimally sized, discreet CRE-C20, which was launched in August 2024.
We want as many users as possible to take advantages of the functions that are standard with Alpha and express themselves through high-quality imagery. With this goal in mind, we had several discussions with employees who are blind and love cameras when developing Screen Reader function to help us decide on the best sequence for items to be read out when taking photos, such as F-number and shutter speeds. Other than Screen Reader, with its carefully selected accessibility features such as Enlarge Screen function, Alpha will continue to support creators by serving as a trustworthy companion regardless of age or disability.
Sony created this retina projection camera kit, DSC-HX99 RNV kit, out of a desire to deliver the joy of photography to the estimated 250 million people around the world with low vision* and to allow more people to feel the pleasure of sharing scenes that move them or that they wish to remember.
The kit uses the laser retinal projection method, which is less affected by the eye's ability to adjust focus, to project the image in focus onto the area around the retina, thereby changing what is "difficult to see" into "clearer sight" for people with low vision. With the cooperation of schools for the blind and other institutions, Sony applied actual feedback from people with low vision and opinions shared during the interviews to the kit to provide them with a photography experience powered by high optical zoom.
To make product information more accessible to everyone, Sony implements indicators on its products that help make users aware of QR Codes on the packaging to guide them to setup procedures through touch.
Sony has partnered with Be My Eyes* to create a more accessible and inclusive world for individuals who are blind or have low vision.
CSUN 2025 will schedule the following session.
We are pleased to share a message from Kazuo Kii, Executive Deputy President of Sony Corporation, and Neal Manowitz, President and COO of Sony North America, regarding Sony's vision for accessibility. Additionally, Mahyar Nejat of Sony North America will introduce Sony's accessibility initiatives, including our collaborations and partnerships with disability organizations, as well as our latest products designed with accessibility in mind.
At CSUN 2025, around 120 companies and organizations exhibited, approximately 370 sessions were held, and nearly 5,000 people attended the event. Last year's attendance was about 4,500, showing a growing interest in accessibility. Many people visited Sony`s booth and provided valuable feedback.
Additionally, we took accessibility into consideration for the booth's design. We installed cane holders on the display stands where white canes and other items could be placed. The brochures included the "Guide for QR." The "Guide for QR" is an initiative that features a tactile border around QR codes and a notch at the location of QR codes, making it easier for people with visual disabilities to recognize QR codes by touch. Scanning the QR code directs visitors to the special CSUN page, where they can use their smartphone's voice reading function to gather product information.
Sony is committed to improving the accessibility of its products, services, and experiences with the goal of "A future where everyone can share Kando (emotion)." CSUN is considered a valuable opportunity to directly showcase the evolving products aimed at this goal. Through continued participation, Sony aims to raise awareness of its accessibility efforts and deliver more user-friendly products to a wider audience.