Lynsey Scott is mum to Harmony, aged 6. She kindly agreed to review the Ludo board game (GB74) for us.
Harmony reads braille and large print, and has the eye condition Glaucoma and cataracts. She is registered blind and has low vision.
First impressions
This is a large, wooden "Slade Colour" touch and see version of Ludo. It is designed to make the best use of residual vision, and the pegs can be identified by touch. There are also embossed graphics similar to the Snakes and ladders board game (GB75) RNIB sell, which we also own. I was very pleased with the look of the board, as I knew it would be instantly accessible to my daughter.
Activities carried out
Harmony is very keen on board games and will be using this Ludo board game to play with family and friends.
Playing the game
As Harmony has low vision and can see colour, she was able to set the game up and orientate herself with the board straight away. She used the colours and holes to guide her around the board. She could also check the pegs by touch as well as sight, to distinguish blue and green if she had lost track.
Harmony has a good deal of experience in playing accessible board games so has good orientation skills. I think she would have struggled to play this game by touch alone, using the tactile markings.
Tactile markings
I would have liked to see clearer tactile markings, so that a blind person could play this game more easily, although I am not sure what would be the best solution. Perhaps it would be helpful to have a clearer tactile graphic to indicate when you had reached your "Home row" and perhaps for the "Home square", rather than unclear graphics all the way along the home row, to aid someone who is feeling ahead with their other hand.
I think that it would take some time for a blind person to orientate themselves with the board using the tactile graphics. By this point, I wonder if they would actually make use of the embossed graphics or just use memory. I asked Harmony for her opinion and she said that it would probably be easier to just remember to count holes at certain points to know where you are and reach your home row.
Conclusions
I would recommend this game to a partially sighted or blind person, but a totally blind person may need verbal assistance to navigate the board at first.
Harmony will get a lot of use out of the game. She is always pleased to find a board game which she can access easily.
Ordering
To order the Ludo board game (GB74) or to view our full product range please visit the online shop or contact RNIB on 0303 123 9999 or email shop@rnib.org.uk