Talk About Learning Through Play, LEGO Braille Bricks Are Here

There are some things that most of us take for granted, like having the ability to see our friends and loved ones, flicking through the pictures in a magazine, and enjoying the sight of a beautiful sunset. Unfortunately, there are at least 2.2 billion people globally that have a near or distance vision impairment and roughly 1.4 million of those are children. Being visually impaired or completely blind can be difficult for a young child and finding accessible toys and games to support their development of learning and social skills can be a little daunting. This is where LEGO 40656 Braille Bricks come in.

SIGHT THROUGH STUDS

The tactile reading system known as Braille was created by Louis Braille in 1837 when he was just fifteen years old. The idea of LEGO Braille Bricks was first suggested to the LEGO Foundation in 2011 by the Danish Association of the Blind and then later in 2017 by the Dorina Nowill Foundation for the Blind which is based in Brazil. Over the space of a couple of years, the idea was furthered by working closely with Blind communities in France, UK, USA, Denmark, Germany, Brazil and Norway. Testing was undertaken in two waves and then on 20^th August 2020 the first wave of official LEGO Braille Bricks was launched in seven countries including UK, USA and France. Initially, the set was only available free of charge for establishments that specialised in educating children with visual impairments. Due to the huge demand for them to become more available to the public, LEGO released the English and French versions in 2023 and won TIME Best Invention 2023.

This award-winning set comprises 287 bricks and two baseplates for building words on. The bricks are in five colours (white, red, green, blue and yellow) and are fully compatible with other LEGO products. The studs on these bricks correspond to Braille letters, numbers and symbols and then the printed version is at the bottom of the brick. The LEGO Braille Bricks are aimed at children from the age of six and are to help them learn Braille at home in a fun and playful way.

In order to aid with the learning process, LEGO.com have several online games to help with pre-Braille skills such as Rock, Paper, and Scissors which assist all family members in learning how to stack, fit and orientate the bricks. These activities are available in a variety of languages including English, French, Spanish, German and Italian. This really is a fantastic tool that enables families to play together and learn together. LEGO will continue to distribute sets for free to organizations that fit the criteria.

Also, the LEGO Group has partnered with Be My Eyes, a free mobile app for blind and partially sighted people. Through the app, the Customer Service Engagement colleagues can address enquiries about LEGO Braille Bricks, as well as all LEGO products and services.

Don't forget that 12th October is World Sight Day. Help raise awareness for visual impairments by booking an eye exam, encouraging others to do so too or maybe by donating to Visual Research.

Have you or anyone you know used LEGO Braille Bricks, tell us about the experience, were they easy to understand, and how did you get on?