Bricks for the Blind

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Bricks for the Blind Bricks for the Blind (BFTB) is a non-profit organization that brings the joy of building LEGO® sets to blind people for free.

10/15/2026

Equality means having the freedom to enjoy the things you love.

This Blind Americans Equality Day, our founder Matthew Shifrin shares why accessible LEGO instructions matter. They give blind builders the freedom to explore their interests, manage stress and anxiety and enjoy the same hobbies as everyone else.

Because accessibility isn't just about access. It's about independence, enjoyment and a level playing field.

That's what Bricks for the Blind is all about.

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Video description: Matthew Shifrin sits at a wooden table in a room with large windows and built LEGO sets behind him. He wears dark sunglasses and a light-colored sweater. In front of him is a small LEGO build, along with a shallow bowl containing LEGO pieces. The video alternates between views of Matthew at the table and close-up shots of his hands as he carefully feels, sorts and connects small LEGO pieces by touch.

10/13/2026

With just his sense of touch and his knowledge of LEGO sets, can Matthew figure out which fully built set is in front of him at Bricks & Minifigs?

Turns out, years of LEGO knowledge really pays off!

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Video description: Matthew stands inside a Bricks & Minifigs store wearing sunglasses as he puts his LEGO knowledge to the test. He feels several completed LEGO builds with his hands, examining their shapes, pieces and details before guessing which sets they are. Rows of colorful LEGO minifigures and builds are displayed around him.

10/06/2026

The countdown continues…December 1 will be here before you know it! Get ready for 24 days of building with accessible, text-based instructions for five 2026 LEGO Advent Calendars.
Pick your set, grab your BFTB instructions and get ready to start the countdown! For the full list of adapted 2026 LEGO Advent Calendar sets visit:
https://brnw.ch/21x6cD3

Video description: An animated December calendar appears on screen, with December 1 circled in red and the words “Start LEGO Advent Calendar” written beneath it. Red text gradually appears above the calendar, reading, “It will be here before you know it…”

10/05/2026

This Blindness Awareness Month, we’re celebrating the power of accessibility and “our why”: making LEGO building accessible to everyone, one brick at a time.

Video description: The video pans across a large bin filled with colorful LEGO bricks in a variety of shapes and sizes. On-screen text explains that Matthew wanted to build LEGO, but the instructions were not accessible for blind people, inspiring the creation of downloadable text-based instructions for more than 650 LEGO sets. The video ends with Matthew wearing sunglasses and smiling while holding a completed LEGO build, with the text, “That’s my why.”

10/01/2026

We love hearing how accessible building can bring people back to something they love.

In a recent episode of Double Tap, builder Alan shared the experience of discovering Bricks for the Blind and using accessible instructions to return to building LEGO sets.

Hear more about Alan’s experience and the impact of accessible building by clicking the link below!

https://brnw.ch/21x66xp

Video description: A red graphic featuring the white Double Tap logo in the center with an animated audio waveform extending from either side. Text reads, “Bricks for the Blind builder, Alan Featured on Double Tap.” Below is a quote from Alan: “Building these models exercises my mind, it exercises my fingers, it provides a great sense of achievement.”

It’s National Comic Book Day!From Spider-Man and the Avengers to Batman and Wonder Woman, comic book characters have bec...
09/25/2026

It’s National Comic Book Day!

From Spider-Man and the Avengers to Batman and Wonder Woman, comic book characters have become some of the most recognizable heroes in pop culture. And they’ve inspired countless LEGO sets along the way.

For blind and low-vision builders, Bricks for the Blind is making those sets more accessible.

Just in 2026, our team has adapted 20 LEGO Marvel superhero sets into free, text-based instructions. And that’s only Marvel! The catalog also includes LEGO sets featuring DC characters and plenty of other builds inspired by comic book favorites. You can search for accessible builds of your favorite characters at https://brnw.ch/21x5XQE

Because everyone should have the chance to build their favorite heroes.

Photo 1 description: A red and blue LEGO Spider-Man figure strikes an action pose against a colorful, vintage comic book inspired background. An open comic book appears beneath Spider-Man, with illustrated city skylines, action bursts and bold graphic patterns surrounding him.

Photo 2 description: A large red and gold LEGO Iron Man figure stands in an action pose while a smaller silver Ultron figure fires a red beam toward him. They appear above an open comic book against a colorful, vintage comic book inspired background filled with city skylines and bold action graphics.

Photo 3 description: A large purple and blue LEGO Galactus figure stands above an open comic book, surrounded by four smaller Fantastic Four minifigures in blue suits. The characters are posed using their superpowers against a colorful, vintage comic book inspired background with city skylines and bold action graphics.

Fall is about to arrive... and somehow, December 1 isn’t far behind.If a LEGO Advent Calendar is on your holiday wish li...
09/22/2026

Fall is about to arrive... and somehow, December 1 isn’t far behind.

If a LEGO Advent Calendar is on your holiday wish list, now’s the time to get your bricks in order.

This year, we’ve adapted five 2026 LEGO Advent Calendar sets into text-based instructions, giving blind and low-vision builders a way to join the daily countdown, one build at a time.

Natalie has been putting the instructions to the test, and they’re ready!

Order your LEGO set now, grab your BFTB instructions and be ready to open door #1 on December 1.

For the full list of adapted 2026 LEGO Advent Calendar sets visit: https://brnw.ch/21x5T7i

Photo Descriptions:
Photo 1: A LEGO City 2026 Advent Calendar box sits in the foreground, with the completed miniature builds from the calendar arranged on a white dresser behind it. The colorful holiday-themed LEGO creations include Santa, elves, a snowman, a reindeer, small vehicles, a Christmas tree and other festive accessories. The Advent Calendar box features a Christmas workshop scene and indicates that the set includes 24 gifts and 252 pieces.

Photo 2: Natalie is at a white desk assembling a small LEGO piece from an Advent Calendar. She wears earbuds and holds LEGO pieces in her hands, with an open laptop beside her. Behind the desk is an opened Marvel-themed Advent Calendar featuring a snowy city scene, a large decorated Christmas tree and numbered doors, with several doors already opened.

Photo 3: Natalie, wearing a light blue sweatshirt, reaches to open a numbered door on a Disney-themed Advent Calendar displayed on a white desk. The calendar features a colorful winter scene with a glowing Disney castle and several doors already opened. A fabric tray holding a few small LEGO builds and pieces sits on the desk below, with a laptop and LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar box nearby.

Photo 4: A close up shows Natalie’s hands assembling a small LEGO build over a fabric tray. An open Star Wars themed Advent Calendar is propped up in front of her, featuring a snowy scene with an icy circular platform, holiday lights and numbered doors. An open laptop sits to the left, and small LEGO pieces and packaging are scattered nearby.

Photo 5: Natalie, wearing a red shirt, reaches into an open LEGO City Advent Calendar to retrieve the next piece. The calendar features a snowy holiday scene with a decorated Christmas tree, colorful presents and numbered doors, many of which have already been opened. A laptop sits beside the calendar, while several completed miniature LEGO holiday builds are displayed on the white dresser behind her.

09/19/2026

In honor of National Batman Day, take a trip to Gotham City and build one of the many Batman LEGO sets available with our free, text-based instructions.

From iconic vehicles to classic characters, there’s a build for every Batman fan to enjoy. Check out all of the available sets linked below and get building!

Video description: A slideshow highlights several LEGO Batman sets with text-based building instructions available from Bricks for the Blind. Each slide features a different Batman-themed LEGO build against a dark background, including Batman vehicles and characters such as the Batmobile and Batman Mech Armor. The video promotes the collection in celebration of National Batman Day and directs viewers to Bricks for the Blind to access free, text-based instructions for the featured sets.

09/12/2026

Celebrate National Video Game Day by going back to where it all began with the original Game Boy.

With Bricks for the Blind’s free, text-based instructions, this iconic piece of video game history is accessible to blind and low vision users. Whether you remember playing the original or are discovering it for the first time, celebrate the day by building a piece of gaming history, one brick at a time!

Our free, text-based instructions for the LEGO Game Boy are available to download now: https://brnw.ch/21x5Dtn
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Video description: Matthew sits on an orange couch in a light gray sweater. A LEGO Game Boy box rests on the coffee table in front of him. He holds the completed LEGO Game Boy model in both hands, feeling and pressing its buttons. The camera moves in for close-up shots of his hands exploring the gray handheld model, including its black directional pad and two magenta buttons, before pulling back to show him continuing to interact with the LEGO Game Boy.

09/03/2026

Alongside our text-based instructions, there are plenty of tools that can make the building experience easier and more enjoyable for blind LEGO builders.

Take it from Matthew himself as he shares the five things he believes are worth the money as a blind LEGO builder!

Video description: The video opens with a black-and-white shot of Matthew sitting at a wooden table with a completed LEGO Statue of Liberty in front of him. On-screen text reads, “5 Things Worth the Money As a Blind LEGO Builder.” Throughout the video, Matthew shares items he finds worth the money as a blind LEGO builder. The video alternates between shots of Matthew speaking to the camera while wearing orange-tinted glasses and close-up demonstrations of the items he discusses. He feels different parts of the LEGO Statue of Liberty with his hands, holds and demonstrates a small yellow bowl used to keep LEGO pieces organized, and shows a compact black keyboard-like device on the table. On-screen captions appear throughout to accompany what Matthew is saying.

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Boston, MA

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