NEWTON, Mass. — Building with Legos is a rite of passage for most kids.
Following those detailed instructions and handling hundreds of tiny pieces can make them a frustrating experience for someone who is sight-impaired.
A Newton man wants to change that with an organization he created called Bricks for the Blind.
Matthew Shifrin loves to build with Legos.
He assembled 4,200 pieces over three weeks to create a large model of London’s Tower Bridge.
That’s just one of the intricate models on display in his home.
“I first discovered a love of Legos on my 13th birthday when a family friend gifted me the first ever set of text-based Lego instructions that she brailed on a braille typewriter, letting me know what pieces I needed and where they needed to be placed.”
Before that breakthrough, trying to play with Legos was frustrating.
“I’d do it with friends, I’d do it with my parents, and it would just be an excruciating experience because they’d be telling me what pieces to find and where to place them. It was long and boring and not fun.”
At Bricks for the Blind, Shifrin says, “we create text-based building instructions so that blind people can build Lego sets independently.”
On their website, there are demonstrations of users following instructions using a braille computer. Another shows a legally blind man following audio instructions on a tablet.
The website has a wide array of downloadable instructions.
“We’ve been able to adapt more than 480 Lego sets for blind people. Our instructions are completely free on our website.”
When asked how it makes him feel to have created an organization that is helping so many people find joy, Shifrin said: “I’m so lucky that I can give them that joy and give them that experience that I didn’t have for most my childhood.”
He dreams of the day when a child can go into a Lego store and be able to pick out any set and know it is accessible.
“I want them to have the freedom of choice because that’s something that’s hard to come by for blind people.”
Word of Bricks for the Blind has spread far beyond Massachusetts.
The non-profit has had more than 30,000 downloads of instructions, helping buildings in 120 countries.
Anyone can get involved with the organization.
They’re always looking for sighted people to write instructions and blind people to test them out.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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