Some of your favorite Mattel games are dependent on color: In Uno, one way to win is by discarding cards that match the color of the previous discard. In Blokus, players must build their colored pieces corner-by-corner until no one in the game can place another piece. In Ker Plunk, you have to remove the stick color the die indicates.
But for the estimated 300 million people around the world who have color blindness, playing by the rules can potentially be near impossible, and Mattel is working to change that.
The company announced Tuesday that by the end of 2024, 80% of its global game portfolio will be colorblind accessible before hitting 90% in 2025. This includes Uno, Phase 10, Dos, Blokus, Tumblin' Monkeys, Skip-Bo and Ker Plunk as well as all mobile versions of Mattel's card games.
Mattel said it partnered with experts in the color blindness field — including ColorADD, which helped it launch a colorblind-specific Uno in 2017 — and those with the condition, including its own designers, to develop these solutions, which include patterns, symbols and other clues to differentiate cards instead of only color.
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It said the move is a step in its "commitment to create more inclusive play experiences," "break down barriers to game play and help advance awareness of those affected by colorblindness."
"At Mattel, we are proud that our portfolio of games continues to bring people together – transcending languages and cultures – and this initiative to offer more colorblind accessible games is another proof point on our inclusivity journey," said Ray Adler, vice president and global head of games at Mattel.
As part of the launch celebration, Mattel said its games division will donate colorblind accessible products to local YMCA summer camps across the country to "empower children to reach their full potential through inclusive play."
Color blindness is a fairly common condition marked by seeing colors in a non-traditional way. That could mean seeing colors differently than others, issues telling the difference between colors or, in rare cases, not being able to see colors at all. The most common form is red-green color deficiency.
