What is CyR.U.S.?

Named after Victoria Watts’ son Cyrus who was born blind, the CyR.U.S. System is also an anagram for Raised Universal Symbols. CyR.U.S. is the first – and only – modern tactile language designed to telegraph product identity, information and usage. Composed of easy to learn, raised universal symbols and QR codes that initiate audio descriptions. CyR.U.S symbol chart. Sleek. Simple. Straightforward.

What is the difference between Braille & CyR.U.S?

Braille is the tactile writing system used by people with low-vision. It consists of tiny raised dots that a trained person can “read” using tactile feedback. While Braille is a beautiful and useful language, only 10% of the visually impaired actually read Braille as it requires a high degree of education to master. It is all space intensive and therefore technically challenging and costly to implement on packaging and displays.

CyR.U.S. is a “Tactegraphic”.  Much like emojis, it features easy to find and easy to read symbols that are intuitive and therefore easy to learn.  They speed communication and break down barriers 

What is the difference between accessible and universal design?

Universal design impacts everyone, accessible design only impacts the specific group who happens to have that disability. Asking companies to design with everyone in mind is an easier task than asking them to spend time and money on making improvements for one small minority community. My dream would be to see products use universal tactile symbols to identify the product type, but a Braille label to identify the brand name.

Universal Design is the design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability or disability. An environment (or any building, product, or service in that environment) should be designed to meet the needs of all people who wish to use it. This is not a special requirement, for the benefit of only a minority of the population. It is a fundamental condition of good design. If an environment is accessible, usable, convenient and a pleasure to use, everyone benefits. By considering the diverse needs and abilities of all throughout the design process, universal design creates products, services and environments that meet peoples' needs. Simply put, universal design is good design.

How was CyR.U.S. developed?

Nothing can replace the feedback and opinions of real users. CyR.U.S. was developed in collaboration with LightHouse of Collier County, Florida, an organization for the blind and visually impaired. It was later proven via award winning VictoriaLand Beauty. Our team has done the research and testing to serve as a blueprint to make it easier for brands to incorporate into new or existing packaging design. And we regularly survey both end-users and visually impaired / blind organizations for their insights.

What are the benefits of CyR.U.S?

For end users, CyR.U.S. provides a better product experience, enjoyment, safety and independence for everyone. For brands, CyR.U.S. boosts brand value by unlocking a huge, overlooked market. It improves the product and retail experience and supports inclusivity. Boosting accessibility will enhance your reputation and expand your market reach. 

How to I qualify to be CyR.U.S. certified?

Simply Get In Touch by filling out the contact form and we will get in touch with the details.

How long does the application process take?

Approximately 2-4 weeks

How much does it cost to get CyR.U.S. Certified?

Brand Partnership opportunities will be available later this year. For more information, get in touch.

Can we have just some of our products certified?

While you can add CyR.U.S. to one or more products in your portfolio, we believe that in order to break down barriers and become truly universal the system should be embraced by as many product and brands as possible. In other words, the more the merrier.

Do I need to create original packaging to be CyR.U.S. Certified?

In order to make CyR.U.S. a universal language, affordability for everyone was essential for us. And we know that in order for small and medium brands to implement CyR.U.S. we needed to make it accessible for them as well as the end-user. That’s why CyR.U.S. offers a collection of tested and proven 3D printed Touch Tags that can easily be applied to any existing or custom stock package.  The Tags feature double sided adhesive so users can further customize their location on their favorite products. 

How do users learn to use Cy.R.U.S.

We believe that in order to make packaging universal by 2025 – our ultimate goal – we need to enlist as many brands as possible. By speaking the same language, we can break down barriers. That requires awareness, education, technology and training. Most importantly we need to enable every brand – regardless of size, budget, staffing and skills to participate in CyR.U.S. by providing the right tools tailored to their individual business reality.

Can we collaborate with CyR.U.S. to create our own custom symbols for our brand?

Yes. We are happy to work with you to design product specific symbols.  However, we believe that People with disabilities – including blindness and vision loss - have been largely ignored when it comes to product accessibility. They want and deserve access to the products their peers enjoy—they want the ability to choose products and not just settle for a product because it’s the only accessible option. Once designed, we encourage you to add them to our resource library.

Are there more symbols coming?

Yes.  Like every great library and dictionary, we are always adding words / symbols.

Does CyR.U.S. offer in-store merchandising options?

Cy.R.U.S. in-store display and signage are currently in development and we invite brick and mortar retailers to share their specifications. Designed to give blind and visually impaired shoppers an independent shopping experience. We are happy to discuss your merchandising needs.

Looking to make your brand more accessible?

Looking to go beyond Cy.R.U.S. for your audience?  Have any specific requirements or are in need of a customized solution? Our expert accessibility consultants are at the ready to help you solve any problem you might face or opportunity you hope to capture. We can do a packaging accessibility audit to ensure you’ve maximized your CyR.U.S. accessibility features.