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Mattel, ColorADD Launch First-Ever Inclusive UNO® Deck for the Colorblind

Coinciding with International Colorblind Awareness Day, global learning development and play company Mattel has launched UNO® ColorADD, the world’s first card game for the colorblind.

By Sustainable Brands | Published 8 years ago | About a 2 minute read

Coinciding with International Colorblind Awareness Day, global learning development and play company Mattel has launched UNO® ColorADD, the world’s first card game for the colorblind.

Designed in partnership with ColorADD, the global organization for colorblind accessibility and education, the deck features its proprietary code, an inclusive and non-discriminative language that enables people with any type of color blindness to identify color.

The code is based on three graphic symbols representing three primary colors, which when added together can create secondary color indicators such as green, orange and purple. These symbols can be found on the top-left and bottom-left right corners of each card to define UNO’s iconic red, yellow, green and blue suits.

“Our partnership with ColorADD allows us to extend the game play to 350 million people globally and 13 million Americans who are colorblind,” said Ray Adler, Senior Director of Global Games at Mattel. “UNO is a truly universal game and we are continuing to look for ways to make one of the world’s most popular card games all inclusive.”

“Our color-coding system has been incorporated in various ways, including in grammar schools, public transportation, hospitals and consumer goods, such as colored pencils and clothing,” said Miguel Neiva, Creator of ColorADD. “By partnering with UNO, we can bring our mission to an even broader audience, promoting inclusivity and raising awareness for an often-overlooked and under-discussed condition.”

Brands are increasingly looking at inclusivity as a way to address the social aspect of sustainability; Mattel’s move comes on the heels of The North Face’s Walls Are Meant for Climbing social impact campaign and adaptive climbing initiatives, and the rise in ads, toys and programming aimed at busting gender and social stereotypes.