Tactile Graphics Making Tests Accessible to Students with Visual Impairments APH Training Workshop

1. Tactile Graphics Making Tests Accessible to Students with Visual Impairments APH Training Workshop August 18-19, 2008 Presenter Karen J. Poppe

2. Tactile Graphicsare used by braille readers to obtain information that print readers get from visual pictures. • “TACTILE”=can be perceived by touch • Other terms used: • Raised-line graphics, pictures, or illustrations • Embossed images • Relief drawings • Tactile representations/displays

3. When is a Tactile Graphic Necessary? • To convey the structure of objects too difficult to understand through words alone • To describe a real object that cannot be experienced through touch—i.e., it’s too large or too small to examine • When the shape/form/pattern is important to demonstrate • To illustrate scale & relationships: biology, maps, mathematics • When a map/figure/graph is needed by a student to participate in classroom discussions or to answer questions

4. When is a Tactile Graphic Necessary? • To orient tactile readers to objects/places in everyday life (e.g., map of a campus, bus route, airport terminal, etc.) • To enhance educational experiences (e.g., to add interest to braille storybooks)

5. VISUAL vs. TACTUAL PERCEPTION • Visual Perception--Objects can be experienced in their totality—at a glance • --Depth, foreshortening, slight shading and size differences, etc., can be discerned. • --Objects/pictures can be identified despite different rendering styles (e.g., outline, cartoon, photograph, certain viewpoint, etc.) • Tactual Perception • --Based upon sequential observation • --Individual pieces of information are connected to build a mental image. • --Depth is lost • --Subtle dimensional changes cannot be detected, nor subtle line directions or textural differences.

6. Hands-on Tactile Activities

7. Successful interpretation of tactile graphics will depend upon… • A student’s tactile skills and past experiences with tactile graphics [refer to handout in folder on Early Tactile Skills and Concepts] • Quality of the tactile graphics created (e.g., adherence to TG standards and appropriate selection of tactile method)

8. “COLORS” FROM DIFFERENT PALETTES Thermoform Capsule Paper Embossed Paper Thermography Braille Graphics Collage [refer to handout in folder on “Tactile Graphic Methods”]

9. TACTILE TERMINOLOGY “Basic Ingredients of a Tactile Graphic” • Lines • Point Symbols • Areal/textured patterns • Labels labels [refer to handout in folder on “Tactile Terminology”]

10. TACTILE DESIGN PRINCIPLES/CONVENTIONS • Simplify • Eliminate unnecessary information and decorative frills, i.e., “tactile clutter” • Important: • During test adaptation, it’s understood that some distractors are intentional and should be incorporated into the graphic. The desired goals are to 1) maintain the original intent of the test item; 2) prevent giving unfair advantage to the braille reader; 3) ensure tactile readability.

11. TACTILE DESIGN PRINCIPLES/CONVENTIONS • Simplify (cont.) • Replace complex objects with simple shapes (e.g., point symbols for counting tasks) • Complex diagrams may be separated into two separate tactile displays. • Replace 3D figures with 2D, except for some mathematical and scientific diagrams.

12. TACTILE DESIGN PRINCIPLES/CONVENTIONS • Resize Graphic • Enlarge graphic for braille label placement and sufficient space between tactile elements. • Enlarge graphic to show critical details or to increase clarity. • Distort space or shape if necessary.

13. TACTILE DESIGN PRINCIPLES/CONVENTIONS • Consistency • Same tactile design styles are employed from one graphic to the next. For example: selected texture to symbolize “water” should be applied to all maps. • Keys/legends are always placed directly before the graphic, either on the same page or previous page • Facing pages are used when test item requires more than one page.

14. TACTILE DESIGN PRINCIPLES/CONVENTIONS • Consistency • Compass rose and mileage scale are always moved to the top of the page. • Grid lines in a graph should be less significant than plotted data; axis lines should be heavier than grid lines. • Order of key listing: 1) textures; 2) lines; 3) point symbols; 4) alphabetic key; 5) numeric key

15. RESEARCH ENDEAVORS BANA’S GRASP STUDY[Graphics Research And Standards Project] APH Research & Product Development

16. Tactile Tools and Materials Useful to Braille Readers for Test Taking Purposes

17. The sample test items shown in following slides were obtained from: • Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS): Sample Tests • http://www.ade/az.gov/standards/AIMS/ SampleTests/ • Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test: Sample Test Material Archive • http://www.firn.edu/doe/sas/fcat/ facatsmpl.htm

18. Rating Scale “GOOD”= Minimal or no adjustments needed, OR graphic not necessary at all “BAD”= Requires some adjustments that would make it tactually understandable “UGLY”= Extensive adjustments needed, OR not feasible for tactile readability purposes.

19. G AIMS Grade 5

20. G FCAT Grade 5

21. G AIMS Grade 3

22. G AIMS Grade 5

23. G AIMS Grade 4

24. G FCAT Grade 4

25. G AIMS Grade 3

26. G AIMS Grade 4

27. G FCAT Grade 4

28. B AIMS Grade 3

29. B AIMS Grade 7

30. B AIMS Grade 4

31. B • Which kind of shoe is worn by the greatest number of students? • Sneakers B. Sandals • C. Boots D. Flip Flops AIMS Grade 4

32. B FCAT Grade 4

33. B AIMS Grade 4

34. B AIMS Grade 4

35. B AIMS Grade 4

36. B AIMS Grade 7

37. B AIMS Grade 5

38. B FCAT Grade 5

39. B AIMS Grade 7

40. B FCAT Grade 9

41. B/U AIMS Grade 5

42. B/U FCAT Grade 11

43. U AIMS Grade 7

44. U FCAT Grade 5

45. U FCAT Grade 4

46. Tactile Graphics Worksheet Activity

47. Tactile Graphics Worksheet Activity

48. Tactile Graphics Quiz

49. PowerPoint created by: Karen J. Poppe Tactile Graphics Project Leader American Printing House for the Blind