In an experimental project, Brazilian ad agency Lew’LaraTBWA designed toy building bricks adapted to the braille alphabet for use by the Dorina Nowill Foundation for the Blind, an organization that has been working for nearly 70 years to facilitate the inclusion of children, young people, and adults who are blind or have poor vision, through free, specialized rehabilitation services, special education, a low vision clinic, and employability programs. The institution is a point of reference in the production of books and magazines accessible in the braille, spoken, and Daisy formats, distributed free of charge to people with visual impairments and to more than 2,500 schools, libraries, and organizations across Brazil.
In this two minute documentary titled Braille Bricks–directed and shot by Nixon Freire via production house Landia–we see the braille bricks engaging blind children, helping them to socialize and become literate. The purpose of the docu short is to educate and mobilize society so that more children in need can access Braille Bricks across Brazil and for that matter worldwide. In order for the bricks to be produced on a global scale, the project will be available for free on the Creative Commons website, and any manufacturer who takes interest can use the idea and carry it out. In order for the project’s initiative to reach manufacturers, the hashtag #BrailleBricksForAll was launched on the social networks. Society can make it known and convince toy brands to produce Braille Bricks for children around the world.
“We saw the potential to use toys in braille education in schools, and also for inclusion of children with visual impairment in society. Seeing impaired and non-impaired children brought together around this product – playing and learning – made us very happy. But the goal is to make this product a global one, by inviting people to pressure the manufacturers with the hashtag #BrailleBricksForAll. The product registration is available through Creative Commons,” said Felipe Luchi, CCO of Lew’LaraTBWA.
“Learning by playing has always been a very important way to develop and educate children. Being able to bring the inclusion of blind children into this learning process is wonderful,” said Marcio Oliveira, CEO of Lew’LaraTBWA.
