About the Universal Blind Café
The Universal Blind Café is an international online social community for blind and visually impaired adults. It's a place to make friends, talk, play and laugh with people who understand life with low or no vision, wherever in the world they happen to live.
Our story
Founded by Jason Reynolds in May 2022 as a Facebook group called the International Blind Café, the Universal Blind Café has since grown to over 3,000 members across Facebook and Discord, from all six inhabited continents.
Today most of the Universal Blind Café's activity is on Discord, where open voice rooms and a full week of events let members talk in real time rather than only post and reply.
Who it's for
The Universal Blind Café is for adults who are blind or visually impaired, whatever their background, lifestyle, livelihood, belief or culture. Ages run from 18 into the 70s, on Discord just as on Facebook, and that mix is a big part of what makes the community what it is. People who directly know someone with a vision impairment, such as family and close friends, are welcome too.
What happens here
Members drop into our voice rooms to chat at any hour, and join events through the week: game nights, trivia and word games, audio-described movies, circles for women and for book lovers, a Sunday Devotional and volunteer-led Braille study groups. See the events schedule for days and times.
Plenty of members keep the fun going between events, too. Many of them play blind-accessible games like Knight Manager and Package Hero, compete against each other in a channel of their own using the Wordle bot, and go head to head on QC Salon.
Text channels cover the rest: assistive technology, smart glasses, sports, books, faith and everyday conversation.
How it's run
The Universal Blind Café is run by a leadership team of admins, moderators and event hosts, all members of the community themselves. Every event is led by a volunteer. If you'd like to help, see Join the Leadership Team.
Everyone who joins the Universal Blind Café, on Discord or Facebook, reads and agrees to our community guidelines. It's safe for work, and kindness is required.
What we're not
- We're not a dating community. People come for friendship and good company.
- Nor are we a support service or a rehabilitation agency, though members are always happy to answer each other's questions and share what's worked for them. For services, see our resources.
- We have no connection with the San Francisco-based Blind Café or its touring dining-in-the-dark events; ours is an online community.
