The photograph on the left is of a Deluxe Edition of the game of Scrabble which has been modified with Braille markings. This edition was produced by Selchow & Righter Co. with the assistance of the American Foundation For The Blind in 1954. A copy was donated to the Museum in 1970.
The board is divided into the same 225 cells as in standard Scrabble. The board is pasted onto a wood backing. The entire board is covered with a clear hard plastic film that is ridged along each cell, and all of the cells with printed information have raised Braille markings. The ridges act as frames in which a player places a tile. By touching the board, a player can "read" the Braille markings and determine where they would get the most score in relation to placing tiles on the board. The frames prevent accidental movement of tiles by a player who is partially sighted or blind. The player can also feel the Braille markings on the tiles that are placed on the board.
The 4 "racks" (upper left of photograph) are similar to the deluxe plastic racks. Each rack has two rows of five holes across the top of the rack and a number of metal pins with cylindrical heads that can be placed in the holes for scoring purposes. The "tiles" (in the clear plastic bags at the top right of the photograph) are made of a white plastic. On one side of each tile there are Braille markings indicating the tile letter and score value. The reverse side of each tile is smooth.
In North America, for information about acquiring a Braille set contact the American Foundation For The Blind or the Canadian National Institute For The Blind.
Last update February 6, 2010