Blind Bingo Fans Can Use Audible Bingo Cards

Wednesday, February 23th, 2011 - Emily W

An American bingo fan has recently made headlines, after fighting for months to earn the right for blind people to use audible bingo cards when playing at land-based bingo halls. 

Joanna Richardson, a resident of Rochester, NY, was born blind. She had always had an affinity for playing Bingo, but she could do so comfortably was by either bringing a friend along or by using audible bingo cards. These cards allow her to play the game independently, beeping to notify her each time she would be able to daub her card, when she hits bingo or when she is one number away from winning. 

Despite the cards being helpful and convenient, her fellow bingo players made several complaints, calling them noisy and distracting. Soon, they were banned from local bingo halls. One exception allowed their use only if they were set to ‘silent’, which completely negates their use in the first place. 

Richardson took her case to the New York Racing and Wagering Board and fought for her right to use the device. Bingo halls are known for being silent, restricting talking and electronic devices of any kind, so it was thought that audible bingo cards would change the environment of bingo halls, but she persisted. Finally, after a 2-year long battle with the system, she walked away victorious. The Board has now allowed the use of audible bingo cards in land-based bingo halls, for use by anyone – handicapped or not. 

In the UK, rules about audible bingo cards are still unclear, but Richardson’s case has certainly set precedent. We hope that this encourages more blind individuals to enjoy playing bingo.