The popular card game UNO has expanded its audience by launching a braille edition of the game that can be played by both visually impaired and sighted users.
According to toy manufacturer Mattel, the new deck will feature braille markings on the corner of each card to indicate the colour, number or action, while the packaging also features braille on the front and back.
Instructions for the game can be downloaded in braille readable files or players can ask Amazon Alexa or Google Home to read the instructions aloud.
To create the new deck of cards, Mattel joined forces with the National Federation of the Blind.
The organisation has praised the toy company for making the game more accessible, calling the launch a “truly historic moment for blind people”.
1/8 Barbie x Izzy Wheels by Annu Kilpeläinen
The Barbie x Izzy Wheels by Annu Kilpeläinen design is inspired by Barbie’s brand message ‘You Can Be Anything’ – celebrating and championing the limitless potential of girls. Rendered in a striking colour palette, strong and empowering bold hands are seen holding the sun, casting a peace symbol and breaking a symbolic glass ceiling.
2/8 Barbie x Izzy Wheels by Annu Kilpeläinen
“I was inspired by the idea of the power of play and how Barbie can be anything,” Kilpeläinen said of her design.
3/8 Barbie x Izzy Wheels by Malika Favre
The Barbie x Izzy Wheels by Malika Favre design was inspired by her the feeling Barbie evoked in her as a child.
4/8 Barbie x Izzy Wheels by Malika Favre
“As a kid, I was fascinated by Barbie, I thought her world was so sophisticated and glamourous,” Favre explained. “My favourite was the 80’s Barbie studio and all its accessories; I remember that I couldn’t wait to grow up and become a woman. This wheel is an homage to that feeling but also to the diversity that Barbie embraces today.”
5/8 Barbie x Izzy Wheels by Hattie Stewart
The Barbie x Izzy Wheels by Hattie Stewart design was inspired by the concept of “Girl Power” and iconic Barbie graphics.
6/8 Barbie x Izzy Wheels by Hattie Stewart
“My design is all about Girl Power – fun and playful with interacting characters and bold patterns,” Stewart said. “I was drawn to the iconic Barbie graphics from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, and incorporated diverse Barbie doll characters to show all the different facets of ‘girl power!’ the characters and logo complimented my cheeky and irreverent doodle graphics.”
7/8 Barbie x Izzy Wheels by ART SCHOOL
The Barbie x Izzy Wheels by ART SCHOOL design is formed around the idea of using accessories to communicate identity – merging Barbie’s iconic accessories with ART SCHOOL’s signature spray painted Swarovski jewellery, and how a wheelchair user can in turn transform a wheelchair into an accessory by customising.
8/8 Barbie x Izzy Wheels by ART SCHOOL
“We wanted to investigate the act of playing with Barbies as a child and how this can translate into a feeling,” ART SCHOOL said. “The designs are formed by creating kaleidoscopic patter-nations using edited scans of archive crystal pieces. As the wheel spins, we considered how the design could look like an ever-changing patter nation when moving so it remains engaging for the owner and beholder.”
1/8 Barbie x Izzy Wheels by Annu Kilpeläinen
The Barbie x Izzy Wheels by Annu Kilpeläinen design is inspired by Barbie’s brand message ‘You Can Be Anything’ – celebrating and championing the limitless potential of girls. Rendered in a striking colour palette, strong and empowering bold hands are seen holding the sun, casting a peace symbol and breaking a symbolic glass ceiling.
2/8 Barbie x Izzy Wheels by Annu Kilpeläinen
“I was inspired by the idea of the power of play and how Barbie can be anything,” Kilpeläinen said of her design.
3/8 Barbie x Izzy Wheels by Malika Favre
The Barbie x Izzy Wheels by Malika Favre design was inspired by her the feeling Barbie evoked in her as a child.
4/8 Barbie x Izzy Wheels by Malika Favre
“As a kid, I was fascinated by Barbie, I thought her world was so sophisticated and glamourous,” Favre explained. “My favourite was the 80’s Barbie studio and all its accessories; I remember that I couldn’t wait to grow up and become a woman. This wheel is an homage to that feeling but also to the diversity that Barbie embraces today.”
5/8 Barbie x Izzy Wheels by Hattie Stewart
The Barbie x Izzy Wheels by Hattie Stewart design was inspired by the concept of “Girl Power” and iconic Barbie graphics.
6/8 Barbie x Izzy Wheels by Hattie Stewart
“My design is all about Girl Power – fun and playful with interacting characters and bold patterns,” Stewart said. “I was drawn to the iconic Barbie graphics from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, and incorporated diverse Barbie doll characters to show all the different facets of ‘girl power!’ the characters and logo complimented my cheeky and irreverent doodle graphics.”
7/8 Barbie x Izzy Wheels by ART SCHOOL
The Barbie x Izzy Wheels by ART SCHOOL design is formed around the idea of using accessories to communicate identity – merging Barbie’s iconic accessories with ART SCHOOL’s signature spray painted Swarovski jewellery, and how a wheelchair user can in turn transform a wheelchair into an accessory by customising.
8/8 Barbie x Izzy Wheels by ART SCHOOL
“We wanted to investigate the act of playing with Barbies as a child and how this can translate into a feeling,” ART SCHOOL said. “The designs are formed by creating kaleidoscopic patter-nations using edited scans of archive crystal pieces. As the wheel spins, we considered how the design could look like an ever-changing patter nation when moving so it remains engaging for the owner and beholder.”
“UNO Braille is helping promote the importance and normalcy of braille by putting it in places people might not expect—like in the game aisle at Target—and integrating it into the play of blind children,” said Mark Riccobono, president of the National Federation of the Blind.
“The fact that we are now able to play a classic game of Uno straight out of the box with both blind and sighted friends or family members is a truly historic moment for blind people.”
UNO announced the launch by sharing a short video on Twitter featuring individuals who are blind and low-vision enjoying the new version of the game.
“It’s a sighted world, so it’s important to have accessibility for the blind,” said Raveena Alli, a child featured in the clip.
“But also to be able to pull out a deck of cards and say, ‘Hey, there’s braille and print on this, do you wanna play?’ And it will just be really fun.”
Ray Adler, global head of games at Mattel, said that he hopes UNO Braille will make a real impact on “a community that has been underserved”.
“We are proud to have UNO Braille on-shelves and to be making UNO more accessible and inclusive to even more families,” Adler said.
This isn’t the first time Mattel has attempted to become more inclusive.
Last week, the Barbie manufacturer launched a new line of gender inclusive dolls that it said will enable all children to “express themselves freely”.
The “Creatable World” toys come with a number of different clothing options, accessories and hairstyles so that kids can style their doll with short or long tresses and dress them in a skirt, trousers or both.
