Dot, Webtoon unveil world’s first tactile web comics

An adaptation of the webtoon “Yumi’s Cells” on Dot Pad, designed for visually impaired users. (Dot)

Visually impaired people can now enjoy web comics via “tactile” graphics and braille, expanding access to digital storytelling.

Korean social venture Dot Inc. announced on Thursday it held a month-long demonstration event for tactile web comics at the Braille Institute in Los Angeles, commemorating World Sight Day, which falls on the second Thursday of October.

In collaboration with Webtoon Entertainment Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Naver Corp., Dot adapted popular web comics including “Yumi’s Cells” by Korean artist Lee Dong-gun and “Hooky” by Catalan author Míriam Bonastre Tur, offering them free of charge to the local visually impaired community. Both authors agreed to participate in the event to support visually impaired readers.

“I read a scene of flying on a broom through the Dot Pad, and it was fascinating. It is amazing to read without knowing braille,” Rolando Romero, a participant and president of Sports and Recreation for the Blind, said.

Monique Mariani, a visually impaired instructor who teaches braille at the Braille Institute, called the experience “impressive,” and expressed hope that many who visit the institute will be able to explore this new tactile world through the Dot Pad.

Dot, founded by CEO Kim Ju-yoon (Eric Kim) in 2015, initially gained attention as a social venture by introducing the world’s first braille smartwatch, the Dot Watch, in 2017. Its Dot Pad, which won an Innovation Award at CES 2023, is the world’s first smart tactile graphic display. The device uses 2,400 cells to convert text, images, and graphs into real-time tactile graphics, creating new possibilities for visually impaired users.

As more of Webtoon Entertainment’s catalog becomes available on the Dot Pad, a wider range of visually impaired individuals globally will gain access to digital content. Approximately 285 million people worldwide are visually impaired, with about 90 percent experiencing acquired blindness.

Webtoon Entertainment expressed its satisfaction in offering a new content experience for visually impaired people through its collaboration with Dot.

Dot stated it aims to foster an inclusive content environment by developing webtoons and other content tailored for the visually impaired, continuously expanding accessibility in digital storytelling.

Dot recorded annual revenue of 10 billion won ($7.3 million) lin 2023 by supplying smart devices for the visually impaired through government procurement markets and donation programs in countries such as the U.S. and Brazil. The company was also selected as a “preliminary unicorn” for 2024 by Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups.