Bricks for the Blind - Making Lego More Accessible

What was your favorite toy growing up?

I was a Mr. Potato Head, Beach Barbie, Lite-Brite type of girl. I also love my brother’s Hot Wheels Track and their arcade video gaming system.

Legos were another must-have toy when I was a kid, but they are still very popular! One can build almost anything from Lego, and that is amazing to me. I was recently overjoyed to find out that this beloved toy could also be enjoyed by a person with low vision or blindness thanks to an organization called Bricks for the Blind.

Bricks for the Blind offers text-based building instructions that allow people with visual impairments to follow along to build cool things. The organization was created by Mattew Shifrin, who was born blind. Matthew fell in love with Legos at the age of 13, after receiving them from his friend Lilya Finkel. She took the time to write out text-based instructions so Matthew could build along with her. Lego opened a world of fun for Matthew that changed his life. When Lilya passed away, Matthew decided to honor her memory by creating Bricks for the Blind, making it a nonprofit organization.

The nonprofit works with the help of people who are sighted and people who are blind working together. People who can see write the instructions down and people who are blind test them out. This relationship ensures people with visual impairments have a boatload of fun with their Lego creations.

As I continue in my advocacy journey, I am often surprised to see that while we’re in 2026, the world still needs to be reminded that people with disabilities want to be included in all aspects of life. All the way down to making Lego an accessible experience for everyone.

There are many more things that need to be made accessible and I’m hopeful that as the world turns, changes to improve accessibility will be made one-by-one. For now, we’ll take this win because Bricks for the Blind is an awesome concept!

I’m excited for my friends who have visual impairments and are blind to have the chance to let their creative juices flow and create amazing things with Legos! Learn more about Bricks for the Blind and get access to many of the written instructions here. Legos just got a lot cooler in my book!