Making Board Games Accessible for Visually Impaired Players

I recently came across an interesting statistic in an article. Apparently, by the end of 2026, the board game market is projected to reach $17.45 billion. Yet despite this growth, many accessible games for visually impaired players still stick to the more traditional options: Chess, Monopoly and card games. Often, these adapted versions are also significantly more expensive than the standard editions.

So how do we play typical editions of board games?

Well, the good news is that there are several tools and techniques that visually impaired players can use to make many mainstream board games more accessible, often without needing to buy specially adapted versions. Let’s go through some of them.

Magnification Tools

Often the simplest method is additional magnification for players with some usable vision. Portable electronic magnifiers, phone cameras or dedicated accessibility apps on mobile devices can help players zoom in on playing cards, boards and game instructions.

Even something as simple as using your phone camera to quickly check a card can make a game infinitely more playable. Apps like Seeing AI or ReBokeh can also add filters and visual adjustments to help identify colours, text or images during gameplay.

Lighting and Contrast

Something else that can make a huge difference is lighting. Many board games use small text, low contrast colours or heavily detailed artwork which can quickly become difficult to distinguish, especially in dim lighting.

A bright desk lamp directed towards the board can massively improve visibility and reduce shadows across cards and playing pieces. Some players may also find it easier to use high contrast play mats or trays underneath game components to help pieces stand out more clearly.

For people with light sensitivity though, brighter is not always better. In some cases softer directional lighting or tinted lenses may actually improve comfort and reduce glare whilst still keeping the board visible.

Tactile Markers

For those with extremely limited or no vision, tactile markers can make board games far more accessible and easier to navigate independently.

There are several different ways to add tactile elements to standard board games depending on the type of game and what information needs to be identified. This can be as simple or as detailed as needed.

One of the most common options is bump dots. These are small raised stickers that can be placed onto cards, boards or game pieces to help identify important spaces or different player items by touch alone.

Some players may prefer using products like RNIB’s Tacti-Mark, a type of puffy paint which dries raised and textured. This can be used to create custom tactile markings directly onto game components.

Other useful options include:

  • Velcro pads to identify different pieces or sections
  • Braille labels for cards, boxes or player boards
  • Foam stickers with different shapes or textures
  • Raised tape lines to help outline sections of a game board

These adaptations can often be added cheaply at home and removed later if needed. They also allow players to customise games around their own specific access needs rather than relying on one “accessible version” designed for everyone.

Digital Rulebooks and OCR

One of the biggest accessibility challenges in modern board games is often not the board itself, but the rulebook. Many games contain pages of small text, complex diagrams and colour coded instructions which can quickly become inaccessible.

Thankfully, many publishers now provide downloadable PDF versions of their rulebooks online. These digital copies can often be zoomed in, inverted into high contrast mode or read aloud using screen readers and text-to-speech tools.

OCR apps and accessibility tools on phones can also help scan physical rulebooks and convert them into readable text. This can make learning a new game significantly easier without needing someone else to constantly read instructions aloud.

Organisation and Setup

Sometimes accessibility is not about changing the game itself, but instead changing how the game is organised. Keeping components neat and predictable can make gameplay significantly easier and less overwhelming.

Small bowls, pots or segmented containers can help keep counters, coins and tokens separated and easier to locate by touch. This also helps prevent pieces from accidentally getting mixed together or knocked across the table.

Dice can also be difficult to track, especially if they roll far away or blend into patterned tables. Using a dice tray or even simply rolling dice back into the game box lid can help keep everything contained in one easy to locate area.

Some players may also prefer to organise cards into consistent layouts or use card holders to stop cards from overlapping and becoming difficult to identify.

Although these changes seem small, they can make games feel far less stressful and much more enjoyable to play.

Team Play and Communication

Accessibility does not always mean playing completely independently. Board games are naturally social activities and many visually impaired players develop systems with friends or family members to make gameplay smoother and more enjoyable.

This could include another player reading cards aloud, verbally describing changes on the board or helping identify specific pieces when needed.

In many ways, this communication simply becomes part of the experience. Most board games already involve discussion, teamwork and interaction, so adding accessibility support into that often feels surprisingly natural.

At the end of the day, the goal is still the same: having fun and being included.

Final Thoughts

Board games should be for everyone, not just people who can easily read tiny text or distinguish low contrast artwork. Whilst the industry still has a long way to go regarding accessibility, there are already many ways to adapt standard games and make them significantly more playable for visually impaired gamers.

Sometimes accessibility is not about buying a completely separate “accessible edition”. Sometimes it is simply about creativity, teamwork and finding the tools and techniques that work best for you.


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