Matthew Shifrin with some of his Lego creations
Matthew Shifrin is a remarkable figure who has been a positive force in the world despite his lack of something that most people take for granted. Though he was born blind and is only 26, he has already written several musicals and acted in a film. He can speak four languages and is learning another two currently, as well as sing and play the accordion. He created Braille for the Yiddish language. Though he has built himself quite the portfolio of accomplishments, the innovation I am here to discuss was not solely his invention.
On Matthew’s thirteenth birthday, he received a Prince of Persia Lego set from his friend Lilya Finkel. With the set came a binder Lilya made containing hand typed braille instructions. These allowed Matthew to build the set despite his inability to perceive the standard instructions. Before this point, he had played with Lego, but he mostly kept to the Bionicle line. He had a lot of fun following the braille guide to put his set together. Matthew and Lilya would proceed to translate more instructions and standardize a method of communicating exactly what blocks to put where. Here is a sample of what these guides come out sounding like.
9.1. Place a red 1×2 plate, vertically and centered horizontally,
on the front two pieces from the previous step.
9.2. Place an orange 1×1 plate behind the previous piece.
In 2017, Lilya Finkel passed away from cancer. Matthew has continued the project in her absence, working with other blind and sighted folks to create accessible instructions in greater numbers. The work is done by pairs of people, a sighted translator and a blind or partially sighted tester. They have currently translated one hundred and eighty four sets, and are constantly putting out more. The largest set they have conquered is the Tower Bridge, at a grand 4295 pieces. The tactile experience of feeling every surface of a Lego sculpture can be very enriching for blind children who cannot otherwise experience the world as we would. You could tell a blind child that the roof of their home slants downward at a gentle angle, but that concept becomes far more realized when they can pore over a model of a home and feel it for themselves. Matthew Shifrin was able to speak directly with members of the Creative Play Lab at the Lego Group, and in 2019 they piloted official audio and braille instructions for four sets. There have since been dozens of official blind-accessible Lego instructions released.
I find the story of Matthew inspirational because it demonstrates that through hardship, through perceived limitations, we can become greater than the people others may judge us to be. In addition, Lilya Finkel demonstrated the traits of an excellent friend, and served others the way Jesus tells us to serve: Generously, thoughtfully, and lovingly.
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