LEGO companies have become very popular for children who are visually impaired. They are using LEGO toys as braille bricks by forming them into a letter, number, or punctuation mark of braille writing. A normal LEGO block has the same arrangement as a typical braille letter with 6 raised dots in a 3X2 pattern. 

 

The Danish Association of the Blind pitched this idea of implementing Braille Bricks to the LEGO foundation in 2011. Even though technological advancements have lowered Braille literacy, it is important that audio books and screen-readers do not replace braille. Sean Randall, an IT instructor at New College Worcester, a school for the blind, explains that those who have no sight use their sense of hearing, but lack the ability to spell and lose their grammar and punctuation skills. 

 

Guided play involves teaching students in a way that is actively engaging and interactive. Children need to see the importance and purpose of what they are doing in order to better learn and grasp the skills. LEGO’s Braille Bricks uses guided play to help with phonetics, spellings, and mathematics. It can even promote motor coordination and tactile skills. 

 

The benefit of using braille bricks versus a braille machine is that it doesn’t highlight your mistakes. It lets children learn from their mistakes and try again. It is highly convenient to be able to move letters around and be more hands on. A simple block of lego has become a form of play while maintaining the importance of braille literacy. This will help so many children in the blind community have better opportunities in the future. 

 

 Gayoung (Jessica) Lee

Research Assistant, UCONN K.I.D.S.

 

Article Link: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-sensory-revolution/202101/lego-braille-bricks-help-blind-children-learn-read

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