SURVEY ON ACCESSIBILITY OF PACKAGING IN THE COSMETIC INDUSTRY

Abstract

Brazilian Law No. 13.146/2015 defines a disabled person as someone with long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairment which, when interacting with certain barriers, restricts their full and equal participation in society. In Article 3, paragraph IX, a person with reduced mobility is characterised as someone who, presents a permanent or temporary difficulty in movement, flexibility, motor coordination, or perception, thus including elderly, pregnant and obese people, as well as people suffering from fibromyalgia, lupus, or Parkinson’s disease. The project aimed to reveal the difficulties people with disabilities or with reduced mobility face when using existing cosmetic packaging. The Scielo, PubMed, Google Scholar, and LILACS platforms were used as the basis for an integrative review, as well as searches on news websites focusing on the project’s key themes (Accessibility; Cosmetics; Packaging), with publications limited to 2000–2024. After the reviews, the data were gathered to create the questionnaire, which then served as the analysis tool. Social media platforms were used for disseminating the project. The results showed that 14% of the subjects required assistance when handling the products, and 44% did not know where to obtain more accessible packaging. This demonstrates a lack of interest that cosmetic brands show in including this group in packaging development, even though these users have a right to such accommodations. The need for the implementation of accessible packaging was observed, as a means of promoting autonomy for its users and thus fostering social inclusion.