Tactile Diagrams: A Case study

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Tactile Diagrams A Case study

• Martin Kelly
• RMIT Disability Liaison Unit

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The educational context

• Higher Education student who is blind. Core
  subjects of the program that required formatting
  involving tactile diagrams
• Introductory statistics
• Systems Analysis Design

3
The diagrams.

• Piaf tactile diagram maker
• Swell paper
• Basic two dimensional images
• Usually not requiring special effects such as
  variation in line thickness.
• Represented abstract concepts (e.g. normal
  distribution)
• Used MS word and photoshop.
• Labelling done with grade one braille font
• E.g. Business statistics - bell curve diagrams.
• Systems analysis entity relationship
  diagrams.

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L6 S9 NORMAL DISTRIBUTION PROPERTIES
Mean median mode
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Question 3, ER Diagram
delivers/ delivered by
delivered by/ delivers
has/is for
Order Line
Staff
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The Process

• 1. Met with subject coordinator and student to
  establish
• What are the inherent requirements of the subject
  ?
• What are possible alternative learning and
  assessment experiences that might be more suited
  to the student learning needs?
• Went through course materials identifying when
  diagram would be required.

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The process

• 2. Production staff
• made diagrams
• Gave to student to check for readability/accessibi
  lity.
• Weekly basis.
• 3. Teaching staff
• Met with student weekly and used tactile diagrams
  to facilitate one-to-one tutoring

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Points to consider

• Use when concepts difficult to describe in words
  alone.
• Provide context by labelling diagrams well.
• Be selective, less is better.
• Have a referencing system developed with students
• Keep small (A4 or A3).
• As much a tool for teaching staff as the student.