North Texas Daily

On Oct. 1, Mattel announced that UNO will be releasing a new deck of cards. However, this time the deck will be designed in braille.

The game has brought up an increasing amount of engagement from children, teens and also adults. The rule of the game is to see who can get rid of their deck of cards first. When one card is left, the player must shout “Uno” and play the card in order to win the game. It’s definitely one of the best card games to play with a group of people even though it can get hectic. Just beware, your friends and family may become your enemy after a round of UNO.

UNO is a game known for bringing people together, and what better way to introduce a new way of playing this game than including friends and family who are visually impaired?

According to Newsweek, the release of UNO in braille is the beginning of making a beloved game more accessible to everybody.

The purpose of the new deck is to promote and normalize braille in games for children. This gives a chance for blind people to play alongside their sighted friends. Board games are a perfect way to bond with your friends and family and I am sure it will be very exciting to be able to play a game that allows blind people to join in on the fun, too.

Board games should start incorporating braille into games in order to make it more accessible for others. Being inclusive would bring more hope to those who have always dreamt of playing a game with their loved ones but have not ever been able to.

This is also a great learning opportunity for sighted players to learn a thing or two on how to read braille as well.

According to CBS News, in the 112-card deck, the braille is etched on the corner of the card which helps to identify the color and number action. Players are also allowed to download PDF versions of the instructions that can also be voice-enabled through Amazon Alexa and Google Home to make it a lot easier for those that may need the extra help.

I think this is a great opportunity for people to interact with their friends and family that may be blind in a way that doesn’t come off as demeaning. Sometimes when I engage in board games, it does not usually cross my mind that everyone may not be able to enjoy something as common as a board game. I never realized what it meant for others that don’t have the opportunity to take pleasure in everyday things such as this.

Now that I’m aware of the lack of inclusiveness, I feel that more action needs to be made in order to make others feel included, too.

With a design like this, you would think it would’ve happened sooner and while we may not quite be there yet in terms of full inclusivity, the fact that something like this is happening now means that we’re heading in the right direction.

Hopefully, similar games such as Monopoly and Scrabble will hop on this same idea and bring in more inclusive games like UNO is doing. The UNO braille deck is now sold online and in stores at Target for $9.99.

Featured Illustration: Olivia Varnell