Introduction: Three-dimensional (3D) printing can be used to produce tactile teaching materials for individuals with visual impairments. Although 3D and 2.5D teaching materials are based on realistic content, no systematic conversion model for 2D materials exists. Here, we combined the previous findings and this study's results and technology to…

Professional development is essential for certified Teachers of students with Visual Impairments (TVIs) to create high-quality tactile graphics in school settings. The teachers need more opportunities to learn knowledge and skills from other teacher colleagues on a community basis. Few studies were conducted to investigate what community-based…

Families play an important role in ensuring their child with a disability has access to the educational materials they need to learn and succeed. This guide is designed for parents and caregivers of children who require accessible educational materials (AEM) for learning. It will provide you with information about what AEM are, how they can…

Diagrams appear in many school subjects but more prominent in science and mathematics taught in schools. Accessing these diagrams in an inclusive classroom has been identified to be problematic for blind students partly due to the teaching resources available and personnel type, support and sufficiency. Diagrams are mostly omitted by teachers…

The AEM Navigator facilitates the process of decision-making around accessible formats of educational materials for individual students. It assists teams in making informed, accurate, and multi-step decisions related to determining a student's need for accessible formats, selecting the format(s) needed, acquiring materials, and determining the…

The authors investigate how 3D printing technology could be utilized for instructional materials that allow visually impaired students to have full access to high-quality instruction in history class. Researchers from the 3D Printing Group of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) provided the Seoul National School for the Blind with…

Introduction: Data were collected from youths with visual impairment about their experiences with tactile graphics and braille materials used in mathematics and science classes. Methods: Youths answered questions and explored four tactile graphics made using different production methods. They located specific information on each graphic and shared…

Gifted students with visual impairments are twice exceptional learners and may not evidence their advanced science aptitudes without appropriate accommodations for learning science. However, effective tactile science teaching materials may be easily made. Recent research has shown that when tactile materials are used with "all" students…

This paper describes two techniques for rendering visual concepts encountered in an organic chemistry course into tactile representations for students who have low vision. The techniques--which utilize commercially available products--facilitate communication of organic chemistry between student and instructor. (Contains 1 figure, 2 tables and 1…

This study investigated the background of personnel who are responsible for transcribing braille in Texas. Most respondents were not certified by the Library of Congress and believed that they had begun their careers less than adequately prepared, yet they rated the quality of the materials that they produced as either excellent or good. (Contains…

Describes the development and testing of instructional materials in clothing construction for blind students, including identification of basic concepts and skills, and tactile adaptation of equipment and materials. (SK)

Two experiments with a total of 92 elementary grade blind students were conducted to determine the effects of training blind students in shape recognition accuracy and speed and accuracy of locating shapes on a tactile map by using a distinctive features analysis strategy and line tracing. (Author/DB)

The annual report of the Educational Research, Development, and Reference Group at the American Printing House for the Blind summarizes research and development activities conducted during fiscal year 1972 and those planned for fiscal year 1973. Reviewed is progress on individual projects in five major areas: aural study systems for the visually…