Stand and exhibition
Our digital stand and exhibition consists of short video presentations of learning material and techincal aids within the field of tactile reading.
Stand
Antje Mönnig, German Centre for Accessible Reading (dzb lesen), www.dzblesen.de
We are going to present the book “Klapperlapapp – midi – Feel there, an animal!” and describe the concept and development by reference to the seven principals of universal design. The viewers will receive an impression of the book´s content, the way of functioning and the visual and tactile elements.
Antje Mönnig, German Centre for Accessible Reading (dzb lesen), www.dzblesen.de
The German Atlas exemplifies the way of designing and producing maps in the German Centre for Accessible Reading. We are going to show the convenient handling for beginners and experts. In addition, the viewers receive details, visual impressions and important information of the tactile graphics.
Dorine in ‘t Veld, Product manager Tactile Reading and Learning, Dedicon
This stand shows a tactile volume explaining structure formulas with a corresponding website with models that students can browse through.
Jarek Urbański, CEO of Harpo
The presentation makes a point on how technology in education is crucial to blind children even on pre-school level. The presenter will explain a way of making introduction to Braille and technology to develop the skills needed for living and learning in the Age of Technology.
Ann Cunningham, Sensational Books, Colorado Center for the Blind
Nicole Johnson, PhD student, University of Colorado Boulder
This video will outline our process of making paper cut tactile pictures using a commercially available Cricut Maker.
Bogusław ‘Bob’ Marek, Founder, HUNGRY FINGERS, Poland
Moving from lines to geometric shapes is where some tactile graphics courses end. Confident use of diagrams, drawings of objects and maps requires a step-by-step introduction. A set of specially designed resources can help understand spatial relations represented graphically. Meaningful exploration of graphics encourages learners to make their own drawings.
Boguslaw Marek, Ph.D. OBE, Head of Service for Students with Special Needs, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Poland.
Chhitup Lama, Executive director, HEAD Nepal (Health Education and Development, Nepal)
Persons with a visual impairment in Nepal have little chance to explore works of native art or historic buildings. Current work on reconstructing architectural treasures destroyed in the 2015 earthquake offers a chance to produce models of temples, stupas and architectural ornaments which may start a permanent exhibition of national heritage, ‘visible’ through touch.
Steve Landau, Owner, Touch Graphics Inc.
Stephanie Herlich, Assessment Center Coordinator, Teacher of the Visually Impaired/Orientation & Mobility Specialist- California School for the Blind
Touch Graphics will demonstrate T3, a new tactile tablet for learning braille, exploring raised-line maps, and creating and sharing all kinds of talking tactile pictures. T3 is a large computer tablet. Users place a tactile overlay sheet on the tablet, then listen to instructions to carry out interactive lessons and to play games.
Abigale Stangl, Bullard Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Texas at Austin
In this digital stand we will be introducing the Tactile Media Alliance, an effort to create a community of practice aimed at supporting people engaged in tactile arts and graphics consumption and production from all over the world.
Dannyelle Valente, lecturer, university of lumière lyon 2/france
Nicolas Baltenneck,lecturer, university of lumière lyon 2/france
Jean-Yves Baudouin, professor, university of lumière lyon 2/fran
Anna Rita Galiano,lecturer, university of lumière lyon 2/france
Lola Chennaz, doctoral student, laboratory smas, university of geneva/ switzerland
Edouard Gentaz, professor, Laboratory SMAS, University of Geneva
We present ongoing research on the tactile recognition of basic emotions (joy, anger, fear, disgust, surprise, sadness) by blind and sighted individuals. We are interested in how tactile perception processes emotional faces in tactile drawing and masks (3D print) and its differences with the vision.
Gro Aasen, Ph.D. Senior Adviser,Department of Visual Impairment, Early intervention team, Statped
Silje Benonisen, MA/Senior Adviser, Department of Visual Impairment, Early intervention team, Statped
Astrid Kristin Vik, Ph.D. Senior Adviser, Department of Visual Impairment nationwide support, Statped
From the project "Early intervention for braille literacy" we share our plans for a web-based guide for parents and kindergarten staff about how to stimulate for emergent literacy. We present one of the examples from best practice, i.e. how to make your own "Teddy-Game”.
(No recording)
Dan Gardner, CEO ViewPlus
Gaby Herden, Support Engineer, ViewPlus
ViewPlus IVEO provides unparalleled access to tactile information using sight, sound, and touch. It allows users to understand tactile graphics in an interactive solution by audio response when touching prints placed on IVEO intuitive touchpad. IVEO includes powerful software for easy transformation of solely visual information to audio-tactile graphics.
Suppliers
Mountbatten Brailler Tutor
Jarek Urbański and Wojtek Nowak will show the new concept of a Brailler good for the 21st Century that will help blind children experiencing technology and interacting with it. Mountbatten Brailler Tutor will introduce the young user to Braille, electronic text editing, the Internet and social sharing. The technology provides skills the blind persons will need in the Age of Technology.
About Harpo
Harpo is all about help for disabled people. Our products give access to knowledge, workplace, and entertainment.
Through more than 30 years of activity, Harpo has developed its position as an organization with a global reach. Also, a research centre for assistive technology. Our products are delivered to all corners of the world.
The BraillePi
The BraillePi is a small computer for independent use, learning Braille at home or at school. The student gets guided instruction by speech and will go sequential through exercises. At any time, the user can hear what is on the Braille display and knows what to do.
About Bartiméus
Since 1915 Bartiméus based in the Netherlands has grown into a nationwide expertise organization that supports blind and partially sighted people. We continuously enlarge our knowledge about living with a visual impairment. Our ultimate goal: to offer a significant contribution to the quality of life for blind and partially sighted people.
Reach & Match®
Reach & Match® is a multi-award-winning learning system supporting children with visual or multiple impairments to learn braille and print literacy and numeracy skills, while building children’s confidence and social skills through play. In 2019, the Australian Government DFAT has endorsed the Reach & Match Inclusive Learning Program which demonstrates improvements in supporting children's physical, developmental and emotional growth.
About Reach & Match
We are an Australian social enterprise with a purpose to empower every child to learn equally through inclusive Play.
We support children to build the foundational physical, cognitive, language and social-emotional skills through our research-based Reach & Match Learning Kit, Inclusive Learning Program and Training Course.
Hardware
ViewPlus embossers range from small, portable personal printer to high-volume production machine. All embossers enable output of Braille in custom language combined with high-definition tactile graphics. Innovative technology allows printing from mainstream computer applications under Windows, or Mac operating systems, as well as wireless printing through mobile devices.
Software
ViewPlus Tiger Software Suite (TSS) consists of three components: An in-app text to Braille translator for MS Office Word and Excel, including multilingual translation; A text to Braille translator for comprehensive use under Windows; A print data editor allowing, for example, to add tactile fill patterns to tactile graphics.
ViewPlus Technologies is a manufacturer of braille and tactile graphics embossers as well as other technology to make information accessible to the visually impaired. ViewPlus is based in Oregon, USA, with world-wide distribution and support channels. A branch office in Germany holds stock and provides support to our European partners.
The Hungry Fingers TRANSFOGRAPH
- now an international classic, one of the first resources helping understand the relation between 3-D objects and 2-D drawings. Models of 6 pieces of furniture are transformed into their front or side views, which can be compared with their tactile outlines in an accompanying book.
The Hungry Fingers FLEXIMAN
– three wooden, magnetic stick figures which can be arranged to imitate a person performing various activities. The figures help understand drawings of people walking, sitting, bending down etc., raising children’s awareness of their own bodies, and of spatial relations between people and surrounding objects shown as tactile drawings.
The Hungry Fingers MAGIC QUIZ BOARD
– a fun way to test understanding of tactile graphics. Nine blocks representing tactile reading tasks are placed in appropriate compartments of an answer board”. After completing a task, the board is turned upside down. All wrong answers fall out while correctly placed blocks stay in the frame.
'The title of this book is...'
The set of resources including a story book with tactile drawings and a wooden magnetic teddy bear puzzle can be used as an entertaining introduction to drawings of persons and animals. As the story develops, a mystery drawing emerges one step at a time, giving the child a chance to follow the sequence and try to guess what is being drawn, until the mystery is resolved. Activities which are suggested focus on introducing and practicing understanding of such concepts as front, back, left, right and spatial relations obtaining between various body parts. The wooden teddy bear puzzle serves as an important intermediate stage between a real teddy and a drawing. An audio recording accompanies the book.
The Hungry Fingers CUBOGRAPH
probably the first resource helping understand drawings of 3-D geometric shapes. A collapsible cube reveals solid and carved edges which can be compared with drawings of cubes drawn with solid (visible) and dashed (invisible) lines. The principle used helps understand drawings of cuboids, cylinders, cones etc.
About Hungry Fingers
Hungry Fingers is a small company focusing on designing educational tools for young learners with special needs. The tools help learners with total blindness understand concepts based on visual experience, on spatial relations needed for reading tactile graphics (e.g., 3-D to 2-D) and for making their own, recognizable drawings.
Graphiti® Interactive Tactile Graphic Display
Based on revolutionary Tactuator™ technology from Orbit Research, the Graphiti® represents a breakthrough in real-time access to graphical information such as charts, drawings, flowcharts, floorplans and photographs, through an array of moving pins. Pins can be set to different heights to represent color and its touch screen enables drawing.
Orbit Writer Braille Keypad
Smaller than a smartphone, this ergonomic braille keypad works out of the box with Android and iOS smartphones, Windows, and Mac computers. It can be used to read text messages and emails, browse the internet and social media, control all functions of the smartphone or computer, and operate all apps.
Orbit Teacher Remote
This revolutionary product enables teachers to easily provide braille instruction to students remotely using an Android app and the Orbit Reader family of braille displays. The product provides transparent interaction between the teacher and student over the internet. This is especially useful during the pandemic but also during normal times.
Orbit Reader 40
The Orbit Reader 40 is the world’s most affordable full-feature 40-cell braille device, offering Orbit’s unique signage-quality braille in a compact device with cursor routing keys and a Perkins-style braille keyboard. It includes a book reader, editor, Bluetooth connectivity, onboard braille translation, clock, calendar, calculator and audio capabilities.About Orbit Research
Orbit Research develops and manufactures innovative and affordable products that enable an independent lifestyle for individuals who are blind. Founded in 1998, the company has introduced products like the Orbit Reader 20, the world’s most affordable and highest quality Braille Display that marks a breakthrough in literacy for blind people.
Learn the Braille alphabet yourself
New methods of embossing
Elearning platform
Interactive maps
About Tactile Images
Tactile Images democratize access to spatial information for the blind. We have a complete software-hardware solution that lowers the cost of producing tactile graphics and increases the speed of exploration.A virtual assistant that reproduces the experience and information of a specialist is the solution for the individual study of tactile graphics in the 21st century.