Mattel

Mattel Releases First-Ever Braille Uno Deck

Ah Uno: the game which has settled many family arguments, argument normally started in the first place by Uno. It is a game that almost everyone has played, and if you've never been hit with a +4 card on your last card, then you've never felt true anger.

Mattel have recently released a braille version for visual impaired people.

RNIB

Yes, now people who are visually impaired can get in on the arguments thanks to Mattel's fantastic new product.

The deck was produced and created in collaboration with the National Federation of the Blind.

Mattel Website

According to a statement released by Mattel and the National Federation of the Blind, there are "more than 7 million blind and low-vision Americans in the U.S", and now the game of Uno will be widely accessible to those people.

The global head of Mattel, Ray Adler, said, "With the launch of UNO Braille, we're making a real impact on a community that has been underserved by providing a game that both blind and sighted people can play together."

The braille deck has been described as an, "important and exciting step toward more inclusion and accessibility."

Twitter | realUNOgame

The president of the National Federation of the Blind, Mark Riccobono, went on to say, "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.

"The fact that a blind person is 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 significant moment for our community."

The braille deck is available now for the price of $10.

Twitter | realUNOgame

Uno previously also made a version of the game which was the first accessible card game for those with color blindness, called UNO ColorADD.

I had a Harry Potter version when I was growing up; however, I threw it out the window of a moving car in Northern Ireland when I lost once on holiday because that's how much I hated losing as a child.

Uno was originally developed in 1971, and has been splitting up friendships since.

Twitter | realUNOgame

Mattel acquired the rights to Uno back in 1992. The game was created by an American barber called Merle Robbins — so, the next time you want to curse the man who invented the game which just made you flip over a table, simply lean back and scream "Screw you Merle Robbins!" shortly before shuffling the deck and playing again.

Uno released a video promoting the new braille deck in conjunction with the National Federation of the Blind.

It's great to see companies like Mattel making their products more accessible to people who are visually impaired, even if it does mean spreading the drug-like curse of Uno to more people!

Hopefully, this will inspire more game companies to make their products more widely accessible to their audiences.

h/t: Yahoo