Reading, Writing, Arithmetic. These are the Three R’s of Education, even though only one word actually begins with the letter R.
But now Lego have stepped in to change things for the blind community and people with low vision, with the Three B’s.
Braille Building Bricks.
The Danish toy brand developed bricks with the help of blind organisations from all over the world, with the traditional studs on top forming individual letters and numbers in Braille.
Lego first announced these bricks to the world in 2020, and gave them to schools to encourage children with a fun way to learn. Technology has made things easier, with text readers for example, but many say that having the option is always better. The European Blind Union says that having an understanding of Braille helps in higher levels of education and can lead to better jobs.
This September, Lego released packs for the public to buy in the UK, which they hope will lead to a closer bond between parents and children as they learn braille together. Available from Lego.com, packs of bricks come in five colours, have fun online classes to go along with them, and they can fit with other Lego sets.
Because Everything Is Awesome when you’re part of a team.