1. Tactile Graphics Touching on the Basics September 2007 Fred Otto, Project Leader, Educational Research fotto@aph.org Karen Poppe, Project Leader, Educational Research kpoppe@aph.org fotto@aph.org kpoppe@aph.org

2. Outline: Introductions Tactile vs. visual learning Approaches to adapting images General practices Tactile terminology Tactile production methods Sample items Questions we facesmall and large

3. Part I Tactile vs. visual learning systematic vs. instant 2-D vs. 3-D limited palette vs. range of colors, shading, fonts Success!

4. Approaches to adapting images Giving necessary information Understanding full intent of the graphic/task and how it "works"

5. Can we do it? If so…

6. General practices ("Things we do") Spacing of elements & labels Using lines & textures Dealing with decorative elements Changing 3-D perspectives Omitting items

7. Part II Tactile terminology Lines, point symbols, areal patterns

8. Part III Tactile Production Methods embossed paper "swell paper" Tactile Vision / thermography collage thermoform embosser graphics, e.g. Tiger

9. Comparison of Methods

10. Part IV Sample Items

13. Part V Our Questions and Yours What elements do we add in (key, labels) and when? How will the tactile reader experience this image? How to depict purely visual concepts for blind readers?

14. Wider Issues Testing students in a medium different from the one they studied Cultivating tactile reading skills early on

15. Further Discussion Thank you!