Recently, I was practicing French by playing a card game with my friends and their family. When I was telling a different friend about this, they looked at me very confused and asked how we were all able to play cards, since I have low vision and one of the friends playing was blind and I have low vision. Of course, there are several different ways to make playing cards easier to read, so here are my tips for playing cards with low vision and blind players and how to make playing cards accessible for low vision.
Use high contrast cards or cards with clear images
It’s difficult for anyone to read faded cards, but for some people with low vision, faded cards can appear to be practically invisible and hard to read. If possible, use cards with bright colors or clear images that are easy to distinguish from each other. Dark text/colors on a light background or vice versa are great for people with low vision and easy to read compared to light-colored text on a light background.
Related links
- How To Create High Resolution Images For Low Vision
- My Favorite Free Fonts For Print Disabilities
- Using PicsArt To Simulate Low Vision
Add text labels
One of my friends with low vision is colorblind and can only see in shades of gray. They use a deck of cards that have large print text labels that identify the color of the card at the bottom so they know which color is which. A different friend has large text labels for king, queen, and jack cards so that they are easier to distinguish.
Related links
- How To Write Alt Text and Image Descriptions for the Visually Impaired
- Reading Handwriting With Assistive Technology
- Assistive Technology For Medication Labels
Play in teams
If I’m at a party and an accessible deck of cards is not available, my friends will often have us play in teams so that I can have a sighted friend describe the cards to me. Sometimes, all players play in teams, while other times I am the only one who has another person helping me. This doesn’t bother others though, and my friends are happy to volunteer to be my eyes for a game.
Related links
- How To Be An Effective Human Guide For People With Vision Loss
- Tips For Improving Confidence About Using Assistive Technology
Have a magnification aid
I frequently use magnification aids to make things easier to see, and playing cards are no exception. Typically, I take a picture of my hand of cards and then zoom in to see what is there in my first hand. When I draw new cards, I magnify them with my phone, making sure that no one else can see them. It also isn’t uncommon to see friends using magnifying glasses or video magnifiers to make cards easier to see.
Related links
Use an image recognition app
Visual assistance apps like Seeing AI, Envision, and Google Lens feature image recognition technology that can make it easier to see playing cards. I prefer to use AI-powered visual assistance apps for playing cards over visual interpreter apps that use humans, because they tend to be faster and detailed descriptions aren’t necessary in this context.
Related links
- All About Visual Assistance Apps For Visually Impaired
- Using The Envision App With Low Vision
- Google Lens Review For Low Vision
- Microsoft Seeing AI And Low Vision
Add texture to cards
Is that a six of diamonds or a seven of hearts? Adding tactile labels to cards in Braille or just by outlining shapes can be extremely helpful for people who can’t tell which card is which. Many people prefer to have a Braille or tactile number with a letter next to it to confirm the card name- so the six of diamonds would read as 6 D and the seven of hearts as 7 H.
Related links
Buy a large print/Braille card deck
Braille and large print card decks are available online for many popular games and aren’t too expensive. Some cards are larger than traditional cards, though many are a similar size to normal regulation cards. Many cards still have images printed on them so that people of all sight levels can join in on the fun.
Summary of tips for playing cards with low vision
- Use high contrast cards or cards with clear images
- Add text labels
- Play in teams
- Have a magnification aid handy
- Use an image recognition app
- Add texture to cards
- Buy a large print or Braille card deck
