LEGO Braille Bricks: What They Are, Where to Buy
LEGO Braille Bricks are LEGO bricks whose studs are arranged as braille cells: each brick has the dots of one letter, number or symbol raised as studs, with the printed character on the side. They were made to help blind and visually impaired children learn braille through play, alongside sighted classmates. Since 2020 the LEGO Foundation has given them free to organizations that educate blind children, and since September 2023 anyone can buy the LEGO Braille Bricks – Play with Braille set, priced at $89.99.
Key points
- Each brick is a braille cell: the studs that are present are the raised dots. The printed letter or number is shown below the studs.
- The retail set, Play with Braille, has 287 bricks in five colors, is aimed at ages 6 and up, and was priced at $89.99 at launch.
- It launched in English and French on September 1, 2023; LEGO announced Italian, German and Spanish versions for early 2024.
- The LEGO Foundation distributes educational kits free of charge through national blindness associations and partner organizations. In the US, APH distributes them to schools and teachers.
- The official site has more than 100 activities, for pre-braille and braille.
How a braille brick works
A standard LEGO brick of two by three studs has the same layout as a braille cell: two columns of three. On a braille brick, only the studs that correspond to raised dots are there. The brick for a has one stud, top left; the brick for b, two studs down the left side. According to the LEGO Group, every brick is compatible with ordinary LEGO, its studs match a braille letter or number, and the printed symbol sits below the studs (LEGO news, August 2023).
Because the print is on every brick, a sighted parent, teacher or classmate who does not read braille can play too. The full alphabet with dots is on our braille alphabet chart.
The retail set: Play with Braille
| Name | LEGO Braille Bricks – Play with Braille |
| Bricks | 287, in white, yellow, green, red and blue |
| Age | 6+ |
| Launch | September 1, 2023, in English and French |
| Other languages | Italian, German and Spanish announced for early 2024 |
| Price at launch | $89.99 |
LEGO says it is meant for anyone curious about braille, blind, partially sighted or sighted, to learn it at home with their family. Check the LEGO store in your country for the current price and the language versions available there.
Free kits for schools
Before the retail set, the bricks were only distributed free of charge by the LEGO Foundation to organizations that educate children with vision loss, starting in 2020. That continues: the LEGO Foundation says it will keep distributing LEGO Braille Bricks educational kits free of charge through partnering national blindness associations (LEGO news). The official program site adds that toolkits and training are free for professionals working with visually impaired children (legobraillebricks.com). In the United States, APH distributes the kits free to schools and educators through its Ex Officio Trustees; teachers of the visually impaired request them through their trustee, and the kits are not sold to parents through APH (APH).
In other countries, ask your national blindness organization whether it distributes the kits.
Activities
The official site, LEGO Braille Bricks, has more than 100 activities, from pre-braille games that build tactile skills to spelling and math. For more braille games that need nothing but paper, egg cartons or a slate, see braille games and activities.
Frequently asked questions
What are LEGO Braille Bricks?
LEGO bricks whose studs form braille cells, one letter, number or symbol per brick, with the printed character below the studs. They are compatible with ordinary LEGO bricks.
How much do LEGO Braille Bricks cost?
The retail set, LEGO Braille Bricks – Play with Braille, was priced at $89.99 at launch in 2023. Schools and organizations for blind children can get educational kits free through the LEGO Foundation's partners.
Are LEGO Braille Bricks free?
The educational kits are free for organizations and professionals working with visually impaired children, distributed through national blindness associations. The retail set for families is sold.
Which languages are available?
The retail set launched in English and French in 2023, and LEGO announced Italian, German and Spanish versions for early 2024. Each version is made for that language's braille.