UniWeb Releases 'Furigana' Function Utilizing Generative AI

2024/06/20

Kiva Corporation (headquartered in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Kota Nojiri, hereinafter referred to as Kiva) is pleased to announce the release of the 'Furigana' function using generative AI for its web accessibility tool 'UniWeb.'

Uniweb:https://hellouniweb.com

Table of Contents

◾️ Background of the Release

As of April 1, 2024, the revised Act on the Elimination of Disability Discrimination* mandates that while governmental agencies have obligations and businesses had merely been encouraged to provide reasonable accommodations, the obligation will now also apply to businesses. This not only improves the image of companies and brands but also relates to SDGs and ESG, leading to an increase in companies that are addressing accessibility, with the number of sites implementing Uniweb exceeding 150.

Accessibility improvements have created an environment that makes information on the site easier to understand through contrast adjustments and text-to-speech functionality. However, to further enhance the ease of obtaining information, we have decided to release the 'Furigana' function using generative AI to help users understand the readings of kanji characters they do not know.

We will continue to develop services to make it possible for those who have had difficulty obtaining information from the site to understand correct information.

* Act on the Elimination of Disability Discrimination
A law aimed at promoting the elimination of discrimination based on disability and realizing a society where all citizens coexist while mutually respecting each other's personalities and individualities without discrimination based on the presence or absence of disability.

◾️ About the Furigana Function with Generative AI

This is a feature where selecting 'Furigana' from the accessibility menu and then selecting a kanji you do not know immediately shows its reading.

Select the icon at the bottom right.

Selecting the icon will display the accessibility menu.
Click on the 'Furigana' icon displayed at the bottom of the accessibility menu.

3. Selecting an unknown kanji with the cursor immediately displays its reading.

For companies already using UniWeb, the 'Furigana' function can be used without special operations or settings.

◾️What is Web Accessibility?

It is not a special accommodation only for the disabled or elderly, but anyone can be in the same situation as a disabled person.

Temporary injury or illness (e.g., car accident with arm in cast and unable to use arm, eye disease with eye patch and blindness, etc.)
Age-related changes
Age-related vision loss (presbyopia, lens changes (yellowish, dark, blurred vision, etc.))
Eye diseases common in middle-aged and older adults (cataracts, glaucoma, etc.)
*About half of the patients in their late 70s have cataracts with yellowing changes.
Age-related hearing loss
Foreign travelers (if a foreigner who does not understand Japanese is struck by an earthquake while traveling, can he/she obtain evacuation information, etc.)

Reference: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Accessibility of Websites, etc. Required of Public Organizations
https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_content/000543284.pdf

◾️About UniWeb

UniWeb supports web accessibility features "on the day of deployment" by simply adding a single line of code to all web services.

In order to achieve equal website services for all, we want to put users in various situations, such as those with visual impairments or those who temporarily lose the use of their hands due to injury, in a position to understand correct information through various uses such as voice reading and contrast changes.

◾️ Kiva Corporation

Representative: Kota Nojiri, President and Representative Director
Location : 3-12-5 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo +SHIFT TSUKIJI 7F
URL :https://kiva.co.jp/
Business :