Scouts Create Tactile Games for Children with Vision Loss

On September 20th, 2026 thirteen Scouts from Rolling Hills Troop 783 spent the afternoon sanding, staining, and assembling tactile tic-tac-toe boards for children and teens served by Partners for Pediatric Vision (PPV).

The project began when neighbors, PPV major donor and ambassador Susie McKinney and Troop 783 parent Monica Mittal, brought the idea to Partners for Pediatric Vision Executive Director Diane Christian and founder Tori Schladen. Susie and Mike McKinney welcomed the Scouts to their Rolling Hills home for the afternoon community project.

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The boards were designed by Diane’s husband, Keith Christian, a Teacher of the Visually Impaired who is legally blind due to Retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Drawing on his own childhood experience, Keith wanted to create a game his students could enjoy with sighted friends. The matching pieces attach with Velcro and have shapes children can identify by touch, so no vision is needed to play.

Keith, a former Scout, guided the group through the project and answered questions about growing up and living with limited vision. The finished boards will be given to children at eye exams where Child and Family Vision Specialists attend alongside our families.

We’re grateful to Troop 783, Monica, Susie and Mike, and Keith for bringing the scouts and PPV together to create the tic tac boards and raise awareness about ways that those with vision loss can accommodate for limited sight. PPV and the troop look forward to working together on future service projects, including 3D-printed materials for children with vision loss.

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