LEGO officially offers Braille Bricks for sale for the first time

24/08/202324/08/2023 Rachael Davies 9071 Views 1 Comment

The LEGO Group is selling Braille Bricks for the first time, offering a way for children with vision impairment to engage with LEGO bricks and learn braille.

The specially-designed bricks are moulded so that the studs on top reflect individual letters and numbers in the Braille alphabet, and are currently available in six languages across seven countries (Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, the UK and the USA) through the LEGO Foundation. They are fully compatible with other LEGO elements, so can be used in conjunction with existing bricks and sets.

What’s more, the bricks also include printed letters, numbers and symbols so that they can be used simultaneously by sighted friends, parents, classmates and teachers for collaborative play. Four more languages will be launched in the next six months, to achieve a goal of reaching 11 languages across 20 countries by early 2024.

Those kits have so far been distributed exclusively by the LEGO Foundation to relevant organisations, but in response to consumer demand, the LEGO Group has now elected to sell its Braille Bricks directly to families, starting with two languages: English and French. Each set includes 284 bricks with braille numbers and letters in five different colours, plus baseplates to build on, for 287 pieces total.

Lisa Taylor, mother to seven-year-old Olivia and four-year-old Imogen, has personal experience with Braille Bricks, saying: “Olivia first discovered LEGO Braille Bricks at school and they had such a big impact on her curiosity for braille. Before then, she found it hard to get started with the symbols but now she’s improving all the time. To have a set at home changes everything.

“We can play with braille together as a family and she can introduce braille to her little sister in a way they both love. LEGO Braille Bricks are accessible for her without being really different for other kids, so she gets to play and learn just like every other child. That makes her feel included which is so important, not just to Olivia but any child.”

“With these Braille Bricks, the LEGO Foundation has created a totally new and engaging way for children with vision impairment to learn to read and write,” says David Clarke, Director of Services at the Royal National Institute of Blind People, which worked with the LEGO Foundation to develop and test the bricks in the UK. “Braille is an important tool, particularly for young people with vision impairment, and these cleverly designed bricks enable children to learn braille creatively while also engaging with their classmates in a fun and interactive way.”

40656 Play with Braille – English and 40655 Play with Braille – French will be available from September 1 in select countries. You can check out their pricing and availability in the tables below.

40656 Play with Braille – English availability

Region	Price
UK	£79.99
Ireland	€89.99
US	$89.99
Canada	$119.99
Australia	$149.99
New Zealand	$169.99

40655 Play with Braille – French availability

Region	Price
France	€89.99
Canada	$119.99
Switzerland	109.00 CHF
Luxembourg	€89.99
Belgium	€89.99

Italian, German and Spanish versions of LEGO Braille Bricks are due to follow in early 2024.

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Rachael Davies

I write about all the very best fandoms – and that means LEGO, of course. Spending so much time looking at and talking about LEGO sets is dangerous for my bank balance, but the LEGO shelves are thriving. You win some, you lose some.