The scope of this paper is to examine the potential capabilities of embossed printers under the lens of Information Technology (IT). One of the main principles of IT is to manage and deliver information into accessible formats to all users with and without disabilities. The present study investigates the discriminability of lines and squares by…

Introduction: Many tactile graphics designed for individuals with visual impairments consider single factors. According to the results of our previous study, there may be interactions among scale, representation, and complexity factors. We conducted this integrative study with these three factors. Additionally, for the representation factor, we…

Although very rare, the existing research on the biological education of blind people indicates that teaching content is not fully in line with the sensory perception of that content by the blind. The aim of this study is to analyse the morphological details which the blind can register in multisensory plant research and to harmonise the…

Traditional science instruction is typically reliant on visual modes of learning, such as textbooks and graphs. Furthermore, since science instruction is often heavily dependent upon visual cues, students with visual impairment often do not have access to the same educational opportunities in most science classes (Jones, Minogue, Oppewal, Cook,…

In this observational case study, a 13-year old boy, Carlo, who was born completely blind, was invited to explore and identify, a set of raised-line pictures without receiving feedback about the accuracy of his identification. He was then asked to explain, verbally or by drawing, why he believed that the names he suggested accurately identified…

The authors review their work on the role of attentional variables, such as in exploratory hand movements, selection and pickup of haptic shape information in the education of blind students. Efforts to design a technology to permit unobtrusive study of hand movements during braille reading and to link observed differences in scanning to reading…

A series of studies on tangible pictures and their application to blind persons are reviewed and possible explanations for the suggestion of depth offered by outline drawings are discussed. Findings from ancient cave and rock art, together with drawings made by blind children and adults suggest that outline drawings contain some elements that are…

In their specialized schooling, blind children are now frequently presented with raised line figures and maps. However, there is still much to do in evaluating the cognitive effects of training using these displays. The purpose of this research is to determine if the level of expertise in the haptic exploration, and the perception of the raised…

Compared was the effectiveness of training in three different tactual map reading search patterns with 144 braille readers in grades 4-12. (LH)

Reported were the research, design and production of a sophisticated, challenging tactual mobility map (of Massachusetts Institute of Technology Campus) for highly motivated and mobile blind users. (GW)

Two experiments compared single v double lines on tactile mobility maps using 12 blindfolded sighted Ss, 12 congenitally blind Ss, and 12 adventitiously blinded Ss (age range for all three groups, 7 to 72). (Author)

Reported was a study comparing the effectiveness of a brief period of instruction in various strategies in the scanning of a tactual pseudomap by 108 blind braille readers at the intermediate, junior high, and senior high levels. (DB)