LEGOs are the types of building blocks that every home probably has. These toys are one of the most favorite toys of kids.
Parents also like building blocks because of the benefits that it gives, which studies have shown.
Just recently, the makers of LEGO gave us more reasons to love them.
Recently, they have announced their plan to release sets of bricks for the visually impaired.
LEGO Braille bricks will be the new thing of the kids who are visually impaired. These LEGO Brailles aims to share the joy of playing with building blocks with kids and keeping the use of Brailles.
The decline in Braille users
In the 1960s, fifty percent of kids who are visually impaired use and read Braille. However, in a recent study by the American Printing House for the Blind, only 8.4 percent of the visually impaired children are reading Braille.
That is because of the dependence on technology of children. Nowadays, there are audiobooks and voice-to-text technology. Reading and writing Braille have become a thing of the past for these kids.
In a report from the National Federation for the Blind, European Blind Union acknowledges the decline of Braille users. The treasurer of the group, Philippe Chazal, said, "With thousands of audiobooks and computer programs now available, fewer kids are learning to read Braille."
The LEGO Braille bricks
It is also certain the Braille education can be quite costly. This way of learning needs a slate and stylus. That also makes it difficult for students to erase and edit their works.
That is why LEGO Braille bricks sounds like a better option as a learning tool.
The proposed LEGO Braille bricks will be LEGO bricks that are 3 inches by 2 inches big. These bricks will have raised dots that are imprinted with the letter, numbers, and symbols in the Braille alphabet.
According to reports, the LEGO Braille bricks are already available in Danish, English, Norwegian, and Portuguese. Before the end of 2020, the LEGO Brailles are also expected to have French, German, and Spanish versions.
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The organizations working with LEGO
To put the project together, LEGO is working with different organizations from all over the world.
The Danish Association and the Dorina Nowill Foundation for the Blind in Brazil are just two organizations. They have reportedly been calling for LEGO to make something like this.
The Royal Institute of Blind People is working hand in hand with LEGO to develop the LEGO Braille bricks.
Their director, David Clarke, said, "Thanks to this innovation, children with vision impairment will be able to learn Braille and interact with their friends and classmates in a fun way."
