Bringing Popular Online Games to Monarch with PBS and Wordstock

The Monarch is a revolutionary braille device with a 10-line by 32-cell refreshable display. It supports braille, eBraille, and tactile graphics, while offering a variety of accessible programs and applications to assist users in their daily life. With Monarch, reading, email, internet access, tactile graphic viewing, and accessible gaming has become easier and more enjoyable for users. The developers of Monarch have remained devoted to creating more accessible applications within the Monarch to connect users with programs like Google Drive, Outlook, and popular games among their sighted peers. “Many sighted children learn through educational games, but students who are blind or low vision often lack equal access,” said Greg Stilson, APH Vice President of Digital Transformation. With continual updates to Monarch software and the development of new applications, the Monarch team is working to ensure the lack of equal access for blind or low vision students is something of the past. 

Echo Explorers by PBS Kids 

Echo Explorers is a cyber-chase game following cartoon bats as they use echo location to travel throughout cave systems and search for answers on what is happening to their fruit. PBS created this award-winning game and built accessibility right into the foundation with screen reader compatibility. Echo Explorers is part of a collection of “born accessible” digital learning games developed by The WNET Group in partnership with Bridge Multimedia for the Emmy-winning PBS KIDS math and environmental adventure series, Cyberchase. APH has partnered with PBS to take the game to a new level of accessibility by bringing it to a tactile platform on the Monarch. “Echo Explorers is a huge testament to PBS. This is the benefit of inclusive design. It was built in at the very beginning, allowing us to easily adapt it for this new platform,” said Stilson. “The exciting part about this partnership is that gamified learning for blind or low vision kids is way behind what sighted kids have access to. This is a mainstream game, brought to a tactile platform.” 

Tactile artists were able to recreate the animated scenes in tactile images, along with braille image descriptions for each scene throughout the game. “With this partnership, students who are blind or low vision can play the PBS KIDS Cyberchase game, Echo Explorers, on the Monarch using braille and tactile graphics alongside sighted peers playing on tablets or computers. This shared experience fosters inclusion, socialization, and learning through play,” said Stilson. The Echo Explorers application is currently available for free on both the PBS Kids Website, as well as the PBS Kids game app, and will soon be available in tactile format on the Monarch. 

Wordstock 

Also coming to the Monarch, is a fully tactile word game. The new Monarch Wordstock app is a braille word-guessing game created to strengthen spelling, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills. Each guess challenges learners to recognize patterns, think critically about letter placement, and refine their strategy based on structured feedback. Immediate tactile input clearly indicates which letters are correct or incorrect. Students strengthen phonics skills, deepen their understanding of word structure, and build confidence in their problem-solving abilities. For students in classrooms, or adults bonding with their friends and family, this fully accessible tactile word game brings daily literacy warm-ups, small group instruction, and independent practice into the hands of blind or low vision Monarch users. Wordstock transforms traditional spelling practice into an interactive challenge, helping students develop the fluency and confidence they need. Wordstock is available for download on the Monarch through the KeyUpdater app.