Mattel to Make 80% of Games Colorblind-Accessible by End of 2024

Mattel will make games like UNO, Blokus, and Skip-Bo colorblind accessible.

By Christian Hoffer

Mattel has announced plans to make almost all of their tabletop games colorblind accessible by the end of 2024. This week, Mattel announced that it would make 80% of its board game line colorblind accessible by the end of the year, with games like UNO, Dos, Blokus, Phase 10, Skip-Bo, and Ker Plunk receiving updates. Additionally, Mattel announced that another 10% of their game line (for a total of 90%) will be colorblind accessible by the end of 2025. 

The initiative won't necessarily mean that games will have components change color, but many game pieces will have additions if they previously relied solely on color to differentiate. For instance, UNO will have small symbols on the cards to differentiate color, while Blokus pieces will now have different patterns on them in addition to their colors. 

Mobile versions of the games will also have updates via Mattel163, Mattel's joint venture with NetEase. These changes will be free to all players. Additionally, Mattel is also donating colorblind accessible versions of games to summer camps via a donation to YMCA, valued at $30,000.

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"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, Global Head of Games at Mattel, in a press release announcing the initiative. "We're proud to help spread awareness for the colorblind community and make our products accessible for more people, so that all fans can come together and enjoy universal gameplay."

According to a Cleveland Clinic report cited by Mattel, 300 million people around the world experience some form of colorblindness, with 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women affected.

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