Games for the blind: tactile chess, braille playing cards and sound games
A game for a blind person relies on touch and hearing: pieces or pawns that can be identified by finger, playing cards marked in braille, raised-dot dominoes, or sound games. Chess is among them, thanks to the tactile chessboard with raised squares and pegged pieces, far more widespread than many people imagine.
What makes a game accessible without sight
Games accessible to blind people use one or more of the following:
- Relief: a board with raised squares, pieces with distinct shapes, raised dots on dominoes.
- Braille: letters or numbers in braille on cards, labels added to an existing game.
- Sound: spoken announcements, notification sounds, listening games.
- Stability: pieces that do not move when the board is explored (pegs, magnets, notches).
Chess on a tactile chessboard
Chess is one of the thinking games best suited to blindness, because all the information lies in the position and in moves announced aloud. Tournament equipment is described in the FIDE regulations: a board at least 20 cm square, raised black squares, a hole in each square, pegged pieces and marking of the black pieces. Details are on the page tactile chessboard and braille chess.
For playing on the move, look at travel games whose pieces are held by pegs or magnets: see the chess sets with plug-in or magnetic pieces described by Le Palais des Échecs. Note: a magnetic travel set is not necessarily tactile (it may have no relief), and this guide does not claim they are suitable for blindness without checking. For autonomous use, the decisive criterion remains the ability to identify one side's pieces by touch.
Other accessible games
| Game | Accessibility feature | To check before buying |
|---|---|---|
| Chess | Raised squares, pegs, marking of pieces | Actual presence of pegs and marking |
| Dominoes | Raised dots | Relief clear enough to be read by touch |
| Cards | Marks or braille on the cards | Signs readable across the whole card |
| Modern board games | Raised stickers and added braille labels (AccessiJeux) | Which games are suitable, which language |
| Video and online games | Screen reader, keyboard, spoken announcements | Compatibility with your screen reader |
Where to get information in France
The Association Valentin Haüy, founded in 1889 by Maurice de La Sizeranne, is recognised as being of public utility and supports blind and visually impaired people; it distributes specialised equipment through several of its branches. AccessiJeux, a non-profit association under the 1901 law, adapts board games and runs an online shop and a games library in Paris. For chess, the organisations section presents the IBCA and its partners. This site does not represent any of these bodies.
If the person still has some sight
The boundary between blindness and low vision is not always clear. If the person can still make out shapes or colours, the adaptations on the page games for partially sighted people (large size, high contrast) may be enough, or may complement relief.
Playing online
Free online games accessible to screen readers exist, and Lichess offers a documented "blind mode". See the page online chess with a screen reader.
Frequently asked questions
Which games suit a blind adult?
Tactile chess boards, playing cards marked in braille, raised-dot dominoes, listening and memory games, as well as video games accessible via keyboard and screen reader.
How can you keep a blind person entertained?
By offering games suited to touch and hearing, audiobooks, music or accessible online games. It is best to ask what they enjoy rather than deciding for them.
How can you keep busy when you lose your sight?
In the first months, the essentials are support and learning new landmarks. Adapted games, including chess, help maintain intellectual and social activity; the Association Valentin Haüy and other organisations can advise on equipment.