Story
Blindfold Spin and Solve: iOS Game
Want to practice your UEB and/or braille contractions? Try this braille version of Wheel of Fortune!
Blindfold Spin and Solve is a fully accessible braille version of the Wheel of Fortune game. The object of the game is to identify the phrase by guessing letters and contractions used in the phrase. Choose between spinning the wheel or if you have earned money, buy a vowel or single braille cell for $250. At the start of the game, you will hear the number of words and letters in the phrase, including how many actual letters are associated with the braille contraction. Type in your desired letter using the onscreen keyboard or your braille display.
Teachers of the Visually Impaired: This is a fun way to practice/review braille contractions!
Gestures
- Spin: 2 finger swipe down
- Buy a vowel or braille cell: swipe up with 2 fingers
- Navigate character-by-character: swipe right or left
- Navigate word-by-word: swipe up or down
- To hear all the letters in the puzzle that are currently solved: 2 finger swipe left
- To hear the letters in the word where you cursor is (letters that you have currently solved): 2 finger swipe right
- To hear all the letters still available: 3 finger swipe down
- To hear the category and number of words, number of letters in each word again: 3 finger swipe right
- To solve the puzzle (instead of entering a letter) type space and then the phrase – do not use contractions
- To go back one page: 3 finger swipe up
Difficulty Levels
- Level 1: Only one of the words is contracted and it is always a full word contraction
- Level 2: Only one contraction is used in one word
- Level 3: Only word is contracted but that word may have one or two contractions within that word
- Levels 4 – 7: You determine how many number of words have one or more contractions
- Level 8: All words may be contracted
For more information about how to play the game, go to the Help page within the game.
Contractions
As you swipe from word to word, the game tells you how many letters in the uncontracted word, and how many cells in the contracted form. The contracted form of the word “CANDY” is the letter C, the dot pattern for the fragment “AND”, and the letter Y. As you swipe on the word CANDY, the game tells you the contracted form has 3 cells, and the uncontracted form has 5 letters.
The game also gives you hints to make it easier. If you guess a letter that’s not in the contracted word, but is in the uncontracted word, it tells you. With the contracted form of the word “CANDY”, if you guess the letter “N”, the game tells you that the letter “N” is in the uncontracted form of the word, but it’s not in the puzzle.
Need to review braille contractions? Here is a list of UEB braille contractions: UEB Braille Chart. Note: Unfortunately, this chart is not accessible with a screen reader; if you know of an accessible version please add that link to the comments section below the post!
Braille Display
To enter a braille contraction using a braille display, you MUST enter individual numbers of the dots – always type a period (dot 6) to indicate that you are inputting a braille cell or contraction. Example: The word “herself” is written in braille as “H”, “er” contraction, “F”. In the game, input the letter “H”, dots 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, letter “F” and press Return (or space).
Note: Single cell contractions and single letter contractions must be purchased like a vowel.
Game Options
Once you open the Blindfold Spin and Solve app, go to the Settings menu to view your options. There are many options; here are a few you may want to consider.
- UEB or EBAE braille code
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Number of wrong guesses
- Teacher Hint: The default is 5. For beginners, you may want to add more spins/guesses
- Use braille display instead of speaking
- Use full keyboard instead of onscreen keyboard
Strategies
Have a student who is learning about strategizing and logical thinking? Statistically, which letter or letter combination should you choose first? Check out the 17 game strategies listed under the game’s Help menu > Strategy.
Download Blindfold Spin and Solve in the App Store.
By Diane Brauner
