Mattel rolled out a braille version of the popular game Uno, allowing people who are blind or partially sighted to play.
The Uno Braille edition, which costs $9.99 from Target, has braille on the front and back of the cards, so players can read each card’s color, number, or instructions like “reverse” or “skip.”
Blind players can also go to the website UNOBraille.com to download braille readable files to learn how to play the game. Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant both have voice-enabled game instructions, so players can ask them questions if they are confused about the rules.
Mattel designed the cards with the National Federation of the Blind. The toy company has previously made updates to allow more people to play the game, with its 2017 release of ColorADD cards for people with color blindness.
“UNO Braille is doing more than making this beloved game more accessible. It’s also helping promote the importance and normalcy of braille by putting it in places people might not expect, and integrating it into the play of blind children,” said Mark Riccobono, president of the National Federation of the Blind, in a press release.
“We are proud to have Uno Braille on-shelves and to be making Uno more accessible and inclusive to even more families,” Ray Adler, global head of games at Mattel, said.
The simple card game works on a colour-code system, allowing players to match cards based on colour or number. The objective of the game is to get rid of all your cards, shouting “Uno” when you only have one card left.
Since its release in 1992, Uno has sold more than 150 million decks.
