Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.
LG Electronics to unveil Universal UP Kit to boost home appliance accessibility
The photo shows LG Electronics' home appliances equipped with Universal UP Kits that are designed to improve usability. Courtesy of LG Electronics
By Baek Byung-yeul
By Baek Byung-yeul
LG Electronics will unveil its Universal UP Kit, an attachable accessory that helps users easily use their home appliances in a bid to offer an enhanced customer experience, at the upcoming IFA tech fair next month, the home appliance maker said Tuesday.
LG said the kits will be introduced at the IFA fair in Berlin on Sept. 1, and the products are designed to be easy to use for everyone, regardless of gender, age or disability. The company elaborated the Universal UP Kit includes accessories that help with opening refrigerators and washing machines.
The company has operated an advisory group for people with disabilities since 2021 to listen carefully to customer concerns and improve product accessibility.
To find out the pain points for customers, the company surveyed its disability advisory board, which includes people with disabilities, about the inconveniences they experience while using home appliances. After analyzing these inconveniences by type and product, the company developed an attachable that can be fastened to and detached from existing products.
“By identifying and proactively addressing customer pain points, we will ensure that no one is left behind and that they enjoy a pleasant home appliance experience,” said Lyu Jae-cheol, head of the company's Home Appliance & Air Solution (H&A) division.
The kit includes an easy handle that helps with opening and closing washing machine doors. The product is appropriately colored to make it instantly recognizable to customers with low vision, the company said.
Other kits include an assistive stand to help with controlling a cordless vacuum cleaner with less power, an easy hanger to hang clothes in the LG Styler steam closet while sitting in a wheelchair, a rotating shelf to make it easier to use the space inside the refrigerator and a Braille remote control with silicone material for the visually impaired, LG said.
LG's Universal UP Kit will also utilize recycled plastics in pursuit of waste recycling and a circular economy, the company added.