Knowledge
A wonderful idea that turns Lego blocks into building blocks for the blind
A simple fact that a Lego-like toy brick, with two rows of three dots, is arranged exactly like a Braille cell led to the development of a tool that can help make learning Braille fun. It is easy to use and handle, cheaper than conventional Braille and is easily accessible in poorer countries.
They say that ‘Necessity is the mother of invention.’ In this case, ‘Serendipity is the mother of invention.’ Designers at a Brazil based creative agency realised that by tweaking Lego toys and systematically removing some of the bumps, they could create complete alphabets in Braille.
The new tool for teaching the Braille alphabet is inspired by a simple fact: A Lego-like toy brick, with two rows of three dots, is arranged exactly like a Braille cell. It's inherently a toy so it will be equally attractive for both the blind children and the kids around them said Felipe Luchi, chief creative officer at Lew'LaraTBWA, the Brazil-based creative agency that designed Braille Bricks. "So it's very inclusive. Blind kids can teach their families and friends the Braille language while playing."
The toy kit comes with so many benefits that you may be forgiven to think why anybody didn’t hit upon this before. Firstly, it is easier to use and handle than traditional Braille learning methods. Secondly, it’s cheaper than Braille typing machines, and if you make a mistake you can change the wrong letter for the right one instead of retyping it from the beginning. However, Felipe adds, "It's not a substitute for the machines but a playful learning accessory." For children in poorer countries whose families can't afford a Braille typewriter, it also could be an accessible option.
The designers went the whole hog while designing the first 300 full kits and did letters, numbers, and accents, for students at the Dorina Nowill Foundation for the Blind in São Paulo, Brazil. For the first batch, they simply chopped and worked around with existing toys. "We produced it cutting and reshaping every single brick, one by one," says Luchi. "We are waiting for a brand to embrace and produce it on industrial scale."
Though their first preference was Lego and hence they sent the idea first to them, the company rejected it. So now they've released the design under a Creative Commons license, hoping a manufacturer—or even an individual who wants to run a Kickstarter campaign—will pick it up. "We decided to make it available to any toy brand interested in helping blind kids with no need to pay for the rights," he says. "Even Lego, if they change their minds … Sometimes all a brand needs is some push from society."
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