Development of a Dynamic Multisensory Interface To Provide Accessible Biological Diagrams for Blind and Low Vision Students

According to the Census Bureau’s 2013 American Community Survey, there are approximately 543,893 children with significant visual impairment in the U.S. For these children much of the mainstream classroom learning materials are inaccessible, and adapted educational materials are required to meet these students’ needs. Producing appropriate accessible materials for STEM fields is particularly challenging due to the prevalence of visual diagrams in scientific texts. Tactile diagrams or physical models are commonly used to present this type of information, although these modalities are limited by their production time, cost, mobility and ease of use in mixed ability classrooms. The objective of this research is to develop a haptic-audio interface compatible with a commercially available device that can be used to present educational diagrams to students studying life sciences. The proposed interface would serve as a multi-sensory educational tool for classroom and independent use.

Faculty Mentor: Nicholas Giudice