The LEGO Foundation announced the launch of a new line of LEGO Braille Bricks, a pioneering project specially designed to help visually impaired children.
LEGO partnered with the American Printing House for the Blind to manufacture bright-colored bricks with studs to allow all kinds of children, those with perfect vision and those who are blind, to have a play together. The blocks have letters and numbers marked on them so that they can also be used by children who can see.
The toy giant launched this project to inspire kids with eye impairment as it gives them opportunities to develop many life skills. They also added that they want to ensure these kids experience “intellectual freedom, independence, and equal access to education and work.”
APH President Dr. Craig Meador is happy to be partnering with LEGO in the creation of this incredible tool to help introduce braille to students. Learning to read braille is a form of literacy that “connects students to lifelong learning and opportunity,” Dr. Meador added.
According to a press release from the APH, the braille bricks and toolkits are slated to be distributed to school districts in the United States for free. The LEGO Foundation and APH designed and created this tool kit to be used in educational instruction in schools guided by a teacher.
For school districts who won’t be reopening this school year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the LEGO Foundation plans to send the braille bricks to these areas where visually impaired children are registered. LEGO hopes that school administrators and teachers can send them to students’ homes.
Using braille offers students much more than just a way to learn. Listening to lectures or educational materials does not efficiently teach children how to spell or write well. These skills are better absorbed by actually reading. LEGO’s braille bricks are meant to be a fun and simple way to teach visually impaired children how to read and write.
The braille bricks kit is the newest offering from LEGO this year. In July, the toy giant announced that it would be launching a classic Nintendo Entertainment System out of Legos. The company also set in motion a new line of “Lego Art” featuring famous personalities, including The Beatles, Marilyn Monroe, Iron Man, and Star Wars characters.
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