“Audio can give you information, but it can’t give you literacy.”

– Chris Danielsen for the National Federation of the Blind

Even though Braille literacy is associated with better job outcomes, estimates suggest that only ten percent of blind children learn how to read Braille. This may soon change with a pilot project Lego launched recently.  The project, Lego Braille Bricks, aims to teach Braille to children through Legos.

Through this project, the lego bricks will repurpose the knobs on the top as Braille dots. The bricks will also have the letter, number or punctuation mark printed on them so that blind and sighted children can play together with them. Lego Braille Bricks is expected to be launched in 2020 in partnership with schools and associations for the blind.

The number of children learning Braille has been on the decline because of many reasons. Various other assistive technologies like screen reader have also taken over. Over the years, audio has also been pushed as a substitute for Braille even though advocates say audio cannot teach critical skills like spelling and complex math. Children develop a natural affinity towards Legos and are very comfortable with them. This affinity can go a long way in helping them learn Braille quickly and in a very fun way.

Watch the video below to learn more about Braille Legos. How useful do you think these Legos will be for blind and visually impaired children? Let us know in the comments below.

Source:NY Times

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