The Campaign

Existing braille learning tools are too expensive and inaccessible for the majority of India’s 12-million+ blind and visually-impaired people. Without access to braille learning tools only 5% of them receive an education. Ravensburger, the worlds leading company for education toys and puzzles, partnered with the L.V. Prasad Eye Institute in India to develop Fittle, to offer braille literacy and education to Indias 2-million+ blind and visually-impaired children. Fittle is an innovative toy that helps children to learn braille words and also discover the shapes that the words represent in a playful and rewarding manner. The puzzles, designed by Ravensburger puzzle experts, are available online for free and can be 3D-printed anywhere at only material costs. With donations sourced from the puzzle-community, Ravensburger provided 3D-printers, to clinics and schools across India, to ensure the puzzles reached the hands that need them the most.

Creative Execution

Various precautions were taken during the Fittle design process to ensure accessibility and cost-effectiveness. To ensure that Fittle is fail-proof, each puzzle piece has been specially designed to connect only with the correct, corresponding pieces. This was made possible through newly innovatived connectors that differ in shape and a line at the bottom that guides the child to only the right combinations. Fittle’s fail-proof design was important to retain its rewarding and engaging quality. Because Fittle would be 3D-printed, each puzzle was carefully designed to be geometrically simple for easy 3D-printing, while still maintaining a shape accurate to the object that it represents. On top of this, every Fittle puzzle is optimized to be very efficiently printed and cost-effective, with each puzzle costing just $0.5 approximately. The design of the puzzle was also optimized to accommodate a simpler printing process, so no additional assembly or modification was needed after printing.

Indication of how successful the outcome was in the market

Feedback from Indian institutions where Ravensburger has provided 3D-printers has been outstanding. The tactile nature of the puzzles allows the child to learn new braille words and discover the world in a rewarding manner that is relatively independent. This “learning through play” concept boosts the child's creativity and motivates them to want to learn more. • Millions of people motivated to support and donate to the Fittle project through Ravensburger in-packaging promotion • Up to 50+ puzzles printed per day • 2.5 million patients reached through the LVPEI Network • Since it’s release Fittle has been printed in every continent excluding Antarctica.