About Us

About myself:

I am a Tinkerer, a builder, a maker an Artist.  Being the Tinkerer that I am, I have accumulated many a prototype games packed away in a spare guest room closet.  One day perhaps one might make it into the world I would say to myself.  Which leads us to current day of how this all came about.

My dear friend, courageous and hilariously funny friend Amanda Blackwilder who is visually impaired set me on a new path.  She told me of how she struggled from a young age undergoing numerous surgeries due to genetic conditions in attempt to repair and salvage her sight.  Although today as a adult she is considered legally blind she can still see to a varied degree but knows the inevitable is coming.

One day Amanda and I got on the topic of toys and games and how it is to grow up with low vision or totally blind for that matter. How playing was for her in relation to her family and friends out of home and within the school system. Her stories were mixed with sadness as she recalled many memories.

So I begun to Google and research games, toys and entertainment for low vision and the blind.  I was surprised at what I found rather lack of what I found.  I went to many known stores and shops looking at the board games and recalled every toy and game I ever bought for anyone ever.  Less than 10% which is being generous in all that I had ever purchased could a blind child or low vision individual play with.  And if they tried how must they have altered the playing with sighted friends or family to be included in the fun. "This is the reason many children a teens begin to feel alienated, left out and end up disliking holidays"  Amanda had explained. Then notion hit us both.  Amanda said, "Polly what about your prototypes, what about your games can you alter them can you do something with them?" And so my work began.

I begun to research the census bureau, statistics and more relative to the Unites States  and  came to understand the percentage of visually impaired and ages.  I searched toy manufacturing companies as well and was shocked. Major Toy Manufacturers are ready and willing to entertain children, teens & families across the world as long as their are without special needs. Over the years games come and go new ideas and way too many old games that are just remade with a tweak or two repackaged and resold for next Christmas yet little has changed in the game itself.

The Global Toy Industry is a $84.1 Billion dollar market. With the US Toy Market size itself being  $21.18 Billion market that's a lot of money and a whole lot of toys. With just a little research anyone can figure out but to date very little of that money has focused on the needs of people with disabilities. One can count on a single hand how many companies have attempted to address those needs, few have been successful, and mainstream designs aimed at consumers with disabilities are few and far between.

I pulled out from the closet deep one of my favorite ideas and said "Now How can I make this so any visually impaired can play together or with the sighted"

And with this OBSCURA Roadside Oddities was Born!