Our app effortlessly empowers blind and visually impaired people while retailers become inclusive employers, meet their ESG goals more easily, fill vacancies and even save money. So let us work together to create lasting additional value for our society!
At LUZEDO, we want innovative technology to bring opportunities for all people and open up a new world for them - but especially for those who struggle with visual impairments and literally cannot see what they could achieve in their lives or fulfil them with because they have lacked the appropriate opportunities.
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We wanted to change that! Founded in 2021 as a social impact start-up in Vienna, Austria, it was clear to us from the start that experimental research, especially in the field of artificial intelligence, would be the key to realising our dream.
During our three-year development period, which culminated in the market launch in 2024, we not only gained a deep understanding of the challenges faced by blind and visually impaired people on a daily basis but were also able to gain valuable insights into the retail sector. The insights we have gained, including the needs of our solution, have spurred us on to bring together the two groups of visually impaired people and the retail sector. Through a new, open labour market, we can potentiate positive effects and make society more inclusive. Ultimately, we all benefit from this added value!
For the visually impaired population group, LUZEDO as an app in their hands should therefore be the key to an easier, more beautiful, more fulfilling, and more self-determined life, which also includes a safe, barrier-free workplace. For retailers, LUZEDO is also more than just a work tool: our solution supports companies in creating more diverse, dynamic, and therefore more resilient teams by establishing employment opportunities. This not only makes companies stronger, but also the local economy. However, companies benefit not only in socio-political terms, but also in economic terms by achieving cost savings - because we know that a company must also be able to afford social responsibility. These financial benefits at the latest make the decision to pursue a sustainable, inclusive path together clear.
As partners of LUZEDO, we will not only make the world more inclusive together, but also change the lives of many people - in line with our motto "We empower people".
Achieve
Accessibility
Create
Employee Pool
Reach
ESG-targets
Enable
Cost Savings
LUZEDO creates accessibility without converting the existing infrastructure.
LUZEDO helps retailers to create a new employee pool by supporting the hire of visually impaired workers.
LUZEDO contributes to achieve the social aspects of ESG targets and SDGs by promoting inclusion.
LUZEDO enables cost savings by limiting vacancies & fluctuations and increasing the productivity of employees. Often, there are state subsidies, too.
Problems stationary retailers face
The retail sector is facing an acute labour shortage as well as high fluctuation of employees which eventually causes revenue losses. Due to current demographic changes, this trend will rise in the coming years. Additionally, companies are facing the problem of rising costs, particularly labour costs. Often, countries have legal obligations to hire disabled employees, which results in high compensation payments if companies do not fulfil these obligations. The sustainability reporting is becoming mandatory in the EU, but companies still face difficulties achieving the “social” part of the ESG goals. Also, outside the EU this challenging task is a critical issue for investors. Finally, retailers face the risk of competitive disadvantage as customers prioritise social and environmental concerns.
Problems blind and visually impaired people face
There are too few inclusive workplaces for blind and visually impaired people, despite obligations such as The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities or The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs. This results in high and often long-term or permanent unemployment, followed by less societal participation and marginalisation, as the blind and visually impaired are excluded from its social aspects, too. They withdrawal from the community, which makes both the individuals and the underlying issue invisible. The denied access to the job market can negatively affect their psyche, e.g. regarding low self-esteem, social isolation, depression, and other mental health issues, but moreover it leads to a financially precarious situation and the dependency on state or family assistance.
Solution for stationary retail
By partnering with us, retailers access a new employee pool: The companies find a motivated, loyal workforce which will stay. Therefore, they experience less hassle, limit vacancies, and lower fluctuations. Additionally, retailers are being supported by us in the hire as we help in finding staff and organising. Thus, they not only save time – and money – for hiring, onboarding, and training, but increase the productivity of all new employees. We help contributing to a company's ability to achieve the economically as well as social important ESG targets by transforming retailers into inclusive employers, helping them to fulfill their social responsibility by reaching their SDGs. Meanwhile, this new diversity of talents and skills strengthens a company’s competitiveness. With our smartphone-based app, the shop’s existing infrastructure must not be converted – inclusion gets achieved through digitalisation. Additionally, in many countries there are governmental benefits for employing disabled people, such as wage subsidies, labour costs saving or fines, that will not apply.
Solution for visually impaired people
LUZEDO's features are designed to level the playing field, ensuring blind and visually impaired employees perform with the same ease as their sighted colleagues do. Our app fosters an inclusive, diverse as well as productive workplace environment, boosts self-esteem, and effortlessly removes barriers. This helps to break down discrimination and makes use of valuable potential. Through appreciation and social contacts, visually impaired become engaged employees. Not only can we establish economic equality on the labour market and social protection gets extended: Visually impaired people cover their own health costs, pay taxes, support our social system, and contribute to public welfare. With a regular income, we help them achieving financial independence and leading a self-determined, fulfilled life. This promotes the quality of life and social integration as well as it raises the qualification level of visually impaired and blind people.
We enable Austrian companies to save 50% of the labour costs for blind and visually impaired employees compared to sighted employees. This is possible because LUZEDO enables staff to work more efficiently and companies benefit from substantial government wage subsidies (inclusion support, inclusion support plus, inclusion bonus for apprentices, wage subsidy, integration allowance). In addition, blind employees are credited twice towards the equalisation tax, which means a saving of over 900 euros per month. There are similar measures in Germany (countervailing charge), which we are also happy to advise on.
