Paint Brand Develops Non-Visual Color System For The Blind

Video screenshot via Tintas Coral

Color may naturally be connected to sight, but for Coral’s newest project, it’s something you can hear and feel too. This Brazilian paint company is rethinking the way we relate to red, orange, yellow, blue, green, and beyond through a multisensory initiative called Cores que Tocam, or “Touching Colors.” Launched during Brazil’s Braille Month this April, the campaign offers a way for people who are blind or have low vision to access and interpret colors using texture, sound, and storytelling.

Developed with the Dorina Nowill Foundation for the Blind and creative agency VML Brazil, the initiative includes 70 colors translated into what Coral calls Cromopoemas. These poetic descriptions capture each hue’s mood, memory, and atmosphere, offering emotional cues rather than visual references.

Each description is available in Braille and audio, and is paired with custom-designed soundscapes produced by Vox Haus to reflect the feeling of the color—whether it’s a warm sun-soaked orange or a breezy ocean blue.

Alongside the Cromopoemas, Coral has introduced an accessible fan deck—familiar to anyone who’s picked paint chips at a hardware store, but adapted for users with visual impairments.

Video screenshot via Tintas Coral

Each sample card features Braille on the front and large-format print on the back, creating a tactile guide through Coral’s palette. The materials are presented in black to emphasize contrast, and the colors are selected for their strong associative qualities—designed to evoke sensations, not just shades.

Video screenshot via Tintas Coral

The audio experience is a core part of the project, with soundscapes carefully designed to avoid overwhelming the listener. These auditory environments are crafted with nuance, helping to represent the essence of each color in an immersive but accessible way. The full series is hosted on Coral’s YouTube channel, allowing wider access for users and educators alike.

As Coral marks its 70th anniversary, Touching Colors transports its array further into the depths of inclusion and sensory design. Rather than treating color as something only visible, the system reframes it as a deeply personal, multi-sensory experience. Now, it can be felt, shared, and understood by all.

[via Pedro Rosa / VML Brazil, B9, Abramark, video screenshots via Tintas Coral]