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Want to know what's going on in blindness research, adaptive technology, independent living products, or general news that can help you live independently? We'll bring you some of the latest stories and links to information that you can use!

Mattel Debuts Braille Version Of Card Game Uno

NOEL KING, HOST:

Uno is a super popular card game, and now even more people can play it. Mattel has released a Braille version of Uno. There's Braille in the corners of the card so people with sight and visually impaired people can play together.

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

That's right. Mattel partnered with the National Federation of the Blind here. The organization's executive director of blindness initiatives is Anil Lewis. He says the Uno game is part of a broader mission.

ANIL LEWIS: The National Federation for the Blind strives to make sure that blind people can learn, work and play in our communities alongside our sighted peers. The biggest part of that is allowing blind individuals to engage in those common everyday activities.

KING: Helped by people like Matthew Shifrin, who's a blind entrepreneur. He's worked with Lego to create audio and Braille building instructions.

MATTHEW SHIFRIN: Being able to really have a level playing field and be able to play it with your friends just like you would any other game, it's really a powerful thing for blind people.

KING: He told us that for blind kids, for example, a trip to the toy store is often a bust.

SHIFRIN: You go to a store and there are all these shrink-wrapped boxes, and you're like, oh, a box and another box and another box, and you have no idea what's inside.

GREENE: Now, as a blind man himself, Anil Lewis hopes that initiatives like Uno Braille will bring greater accessibility and tolerance.

KING: But when it comes to Uno, Lewis will not tolerate losing.

LEWIS: I learned to play Uno by playing my son, and he is the one that made me become a fierce Uno player. I used to play just for fun; now I play to win.

KING: Uno without mercy.

(SOUNDBITE OF KETTLE'S "QUICKPIG") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.