LEGO Expands Braille Learning with New Languages and Playful Braille Bricks Set

LEGO Expands Braille Learning with New Languages and Playful Braille Bricks Set

(IN BRIEF) To celebrate World Braille Day, the LEGO Group is introducing three new languages to its LEGO Braille Bricks product, aimed at children aged 6 and above. Previously distributed to organizations focused on educating visually impaired children, the LEGO Braille Bricks – Play with Braille set is now available for purchase in Spanish, German, and Italian. The product includes 287 colorful bricks with studs corresponding to braille letters and numbers, making it an inclusive and playful way for both blind and sighted children to learn braille at home. The initiative received praise from the World Blind Union for promoting braille literacy and inclusivity within families.

(PRESS RELEASE) BILLUND, 5-Jan-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — To mark World Braille Day and in response to global demand, the LEGO Group announces three new languages to its LEGO® Braille Bricks – Play with Braille product. The set is aimed at kids aged 6+ and designed so that anyone who is curious about braille, be they blind, partially-sighted or sighted, can have fun getting to know the braille system at home with their family in a playful, inclusive way.

Until August 2023, LEGO Braille Bricks had only been distributed free of charge by the LEGO Foundation to organisations* specializing in the education of children with vision impairment. Since the launch of these educational kits in 2020, feedback from parents, carers, grandparents, children, and educators has continually highlighted the positive impact the bricks have and how they transform the way children with vision impairment can learn braille. Requests to make the bricks more publicly available then led to the creation of LEGO Braille Bricks – Play with Braille, to give families the opportunity to enjoy the benefits and practice their tactile skills at home.

Following the launch of English and French language versions in August 2023, which saw overwhelmingly positive response and has since been recognized as a TIME Best Invention 2023, families are now able to also purchase the product in Spanish, German and Italian on www.LEGO.com.

Martine Abel-Williamson, President, World Blind Union, commented: “For blind and partially sighted children, and adults for that matter, it makes all the difference if they can share their journey of learning braille with the people they love the most. For the blind community, braille is not just literacy, it’s our entry to independence and inclusion into this world, and to have LEGO Braille Bricks made available for the wider public is a massive step forward to ensuring more children will want to learn braille in the first place. And because it’s based on a product that so many families already know and love, this is really an invitation for all family members to have fun building tactile skills and getting familiar with braille using the same tool.”

LEGO® Braille Bricks – Play with Braille includes 287 bricks in five colours: white, yellow, green, red and blue. All bricks are fully compatible with other LEGO products and the studs on each brick are arranged to correspond to the numbers and letters in the braille system, with the printed version of the symbol or letter situated below the studs.

The set also includes two baseplates to build on and comes in packaging with braille embossing. To enhance the play experience and support pre-braille skill development, a series of supporting play starters are available on LEGO.com and will teach players how to orient, attach and stack the bricks through well-loved games such as Rock, Paper, Scissors, which all members of the family can take part in. The Play Starter Activities are now available in Spanish, German, Italian, English and French.

Lisa Taylor, mum to 7-year-old Olivia and 4-year-old Imogen, commented:
“Olivia first discovered LEGO braille bricks at school and they had such a big impact on her curiosity for braille. Before then, she found it hard to get started with the symbols but now she’s improving all the time. To have a set at home changes everything. We can play with braille together as a family and she can introduce braille to her little sister in a way they both love. LEGO braille bricks are accessible for her without being really different for other kids, so she gets to play and learn just like every other child. That makes her feel included which is so important, not just to Olivia but any child.”

Rasmus Løgstrup, LEGO Group Lead Designer on LEGO Braille Bricks said: “Play has the power to change lives; when children play, they learn vital life-long skills, so we were thrilled by the reception that LEGO Braille Bricks received in educational settings. We’ve been inundated with thousands of requests to make them more widely available, so we just knew we had to make it happen, and with the new additional languages we can help reach even more families!

It’s been a fantastic journey collaborating with children, families and experts from around the world to develop the product and online activity packs. Our partners have been instrumental also in advising on what colourways should be used for the bricks, product packaging and digital experiences to ensure this is optimised for individuals who experience low vision and vision loss. We know this is a strong platform for social inclusion and can’t wait to see families get creative and have fun playing with braille together.”

LEGO Braille Bricks – Play with Braille set is priced at 89.99 EUR / 89.99 USD and available for purchase at LEGO.com/Play-with-braille.

The LEGO Foundation will continue to carry out research and distribute LEGO Braille Bricks educational kits free of charge through partnering national blindness associations and other partnering organisations. The LEGO Foundation supports children under the age of 18.

Notes To Editors

Note:
*LEGO Braille Bricks as a concept has been tested and developed in close collaboration with partnering blind organisations from around the world.

LEGO Braille Bricks educational toolkits will continue to be distributed free of charge to select institutions, schools and services catering to the education of children with vision impairment. In each country where they are available, the LEGO Foundation works with an Official Partner to distribute them to these institutions.

(40724) LEGO® Braille Bricks – Play with Braille – Spanish Alphabet availability:

• 89.99 EUR / 89.99 USD

(40722) LEGO® Braille Bricks – Play with Braille – German Alphabet availability:

• 89.99 EUR / 89.99 USD

(40723) LEGO® Braille Bricks – Play with Braille – Italian Alphabet availability:

• 89.99 EUR / 89.99 USD

About the LEGO Group
The LEGO Group’s mission is to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow through the power of play. The LEGO System in Play, with its foundation in LEGO bricks, allows children and fans to build and rebuild anything they can imagine.

The LEGO Group was founded in Billund, Denmark in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, its name derived from the two Danish words LEg GOdt, which mean “Play Well”. Today, the LEGO Group remains a family-owned company headquartered in Billund. However, its products are now sold in more than 130 countries worldwide.

For more news from the LEGO Group, information about our financial performance and responsibility engagement, please visit www.LEGO.com/aboutus

About the LEGO Foundation
The LEGO Foundation aims to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow, a mission that it shares with the LEGO Group. The LEGO Foundation is dedicated to building a future where learning through play empowers children to become creative, engaged, lifelong learners. Its work is about re-defining play and re-imagining learning. In collaboration with thought leaders, influencers, educators and parents, the LEGO Foundation aims to equip, inspire and activate champions for play. www.learningthroughplay.com.

Media Contact:

media@LEGO.com

SOURCE: LEGO System A/S