Toy manufacturer Mattel launches first-ever braille version of UNO
Game can be played by visually impaired and sighted users
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Your support makes all the difference.The popular card game UNO has expanded its audience by launching a braille edition of the game that can be played by both visually impaired and sighted users.
According to toy manufacturer Mattel, the new deck will feature braille markings on the corner of each card to indicate the colour, number or action, while the packaging also features braille on the front and back.
Instructions for the game can be downloaded in braille readable files or players can ask Amazon Alexa or Google Home to read the instructions aloud.
To create the new deck of cards, Mattel joined forces with the National Federation of the Blind.
The organisation has praised the toy company for making the game more accessible, calling the launch a “truly historic moment for blind people”.
“UNO Braille is helping promote the importance and normalcy of braille by putting it in places people might not expect—like in the game aisle at Target—and integrating it into the play of blind children,” said Mark Riccobono, president of the National Federation of the Blind.
“The fact that we are now able to play a classic game of Uno straight out of the box with both blind and sighted friends or family members is a truly historic moment for blind people.”
UNO announced the launch by sharing a short video on Twitter featuring individuals who are blind and low-vision enjoying the new version of the game.
“It's a sighted world, so it's important to have accessibility for the blind,” said Raveena Alli, a child featured in the clip.
“But also to be able to pull out a deck of cards and say, 'Hey, there's braille and print on this, do you wanna play?' And it will just be really fun.”
Ray Adler, global head of games at Mattel, said that he hopes UNO Braille will make a real impact on “a community that has been underserved”.
“We are proud to have UNO Braille on-shelves and to be making UNO more accessible and inclusive to even more families,” Adler said.
This isn’t the first time Mattel has attempted to become more inclusive.
Last week, the Barbie manufacturer launched a new line of gender inclusive dolls that it said will enable all children to “express themselves freely”.
The “Creatable World” toys come with a number of different clothing options, accessories and hairstyles so that kids can style their doll with short or long tresses and dress them in a skirt, trousers or both.
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