Add@Me Learning Methods Database (EN)

Backgammon is a game for two participants, played on a board consisting of twenty-four narrow triangles called points. The triangles alternate in color and are grouped into four quadrants of six triangles each. The quadrants are referred to as a player's home board and outer board, and the opponent's home board and outer board. The home and outer boards are separated from each other by a ridge down the center of the board called the bar.

The objective of the game is to move all your checkers into your own home board and then bear them off. The first player to bear off all of their checkers wins the game.

For adapting this game so it can be enjoyed by someone who has visual impairments all you need is a special type of the setup case which contains borders between each row so the player can have a clear picture of where his/her checkers are situated. Also a neutral sighted player is needed so he/she can announce the numbers of the rolled dice. If there is no sighted person who can assist the game an adapted dice should be used.

Ask the members of the team to stand in a circle facing the back of each other. Ask participants to count as high as they can aloud with only one person saying a number at a time. The game requires no planning and everyone must speak once before someone can say another number. If two people say the same number at the same time or a number is said twice, the group must start over again. The game can become more challenging by setting up a number from which the team has to count up or down.

This game should be carried out twice.

For the first turn, the participants should wear blindfolds, for the second turn, they should do it without blindfolds. During the first turn, as the participants see nothing, the facilitator has to explain in detail, step by step, all movements that have to be repated by the whole group. This game is carried out in the rhythm of calm music, participants can be standing up (preferably) or seated in a circle.

Facilitator informs that everybody will bake a cake. She/He tells in details how to do it. We take our hands in front of us, then:

- we make the move like sprinkling a flower on the cutting board, with the right hand, then with the left hand (we repeat each movement 4 or 8 times),

- we dust our hands on the apron — 4 times,

- we add four eggs (eggs are behind us, on a shelf — with the right hand we take an egg from behind a left arm, we break the eggshell on our left arm, we pour the egg to the flour saying “splash” and we throw away the eggshells through the right arm saying “whoosh”, then we take an egg with the left hand from behind the right arm, and we do the same, i.e., we break the egg on our right arm, we pour it to the flour saying “splash” and we throw away the eggshells through the left arm saying “whoosh”.

We repeat the same movements, with the right and left hand, - we knead the dough — 4 or 8 times, - we roll out the dough with our both hands on the cutting board in front of us — 4 or 8 times, — we decorate it with cream (8 times), we fold our hands into fists, put one on the other (vertically) and rhythmically open and close the fingers of the upper hand.

- we sprinkle dried fruit

- we put the cake into the oven

- we take it out from the oven

- we cut it

- and we offer a slice of this cake to the person on our right and left side (we can as well move around and offer it to all the people we meet).

During the second turn, participants do not have blinfolds on their eyes. Facilitator has to know the movements/gestures very well in order to show it for the whole group. It is good only for a facilitator, who knows the game well and who feels comfortable with this type of the game. If blind facilitators decide to lead this activity without any help, they have to train themselves well before it, to practice it in order to master well all the movements/gestures. The help of the sighted assistant is an option.

The vi facilitator writes a few general work-related topics on the white board or on sticky notes posted to the wall: “My travel,” “My free time” “Work travel,” etc. The facilitator gathers the team together and has everyone choose one of the topics and share a story related to it. The facilitator can pass out sticky notes and have everyone write down positive memories of working together or special team accomplishments. They can use words or pictures to record these memories. Then everyone share their memory and post it on the wall, forming a positive memory cloud. A facilitator with visual impairment can be supported by a sighted person.

The facilitator tells the participants to stay in a line one person behind the other. They were transformed into a centipede and they are one body now. For the entire activity they will have to keep their eyes closed and they are not allowed to talk. The centipede will need to pick up 3 balls that the facilitator will place in the room. One volunteer will be placed in front and one in the end. The one in front has to pick up the ball with his eyes closed but he is the only one who can talk, and the participant in the back will have open eyes and will have to 'drive' the centipede to the balls. The facilitator gives a few minutes to figure out a strategy on how to do it (the facilitator can give some tips, a signal how to turn left/right, how to stop). Two centipedes can be made and play at the same time for a more competitive game. It would be advisable to use acoustic balls the help participants with visual impairment and also to signal to the facilitaotr when one ball was picked up.

People with visual impairment use a special chess table to play without seeing the figures. Two participants per table and the support of a partially sighted person are the only things needed. In case a special chess table is not available or to expensive you can also build one, just make sure to properly familiarize the participants with the makeshift chess table before starting to play. For people who are partially sighted a normal chess board can be used, a volunteer can assist the game to call out the movements made by each player. Same rules as at a chess game will apply. Tournaments can be organized between youngsters, depending on how many special chessboards you have.