Transcribing Across the Senses: Community Efforts to Create 3D Printable Accessible Tactile Pictures for Young Children with Visual Impairments
Abigale Stangl, Chia-Lo Hsu, Tom Yeh · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility · doi:10.1145/2700648.2809854
Summary
This formative study investigates how different stakeholder communities approach designing 3D printable accessible tactile pictures (3DP-ATPs) for young children with visual impairments. While 3D printing offers potential to democratize tactile material production—traditionally limited to expensive thermoform processes by specialized publishers—the task of transcribing visual illustrations into meaningful tactile experiences proves far more complex than simply learning to use fabrication tools. The researchers conducted six workshops with 67 participants representing distinct stakeholder groups: accessibility librarians from a Talking Book Library (n=7), children's librarians from a public library makerspace (n=6), library volunteers experienced in audio transcription (n=7), engineers from a local hackerspace (n=3), interaction designers with education technology backgrounds (n=4), and orientation and mobility (O&M) specialists and teachers of the visually impaired (TVIs) at a Department of Education training (n=40). Each workshop lasted four hours, beginning with "sudden blindness" activities where blindfolded participants explored existing tactile materials, followed by hands-on modeling using amateur-focused tools (TinkerCad and SketchUp). The design task focused on transcribing pages from children's picture books like "Goodnight Moon," "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," and "Where the Wild Things Are" into tactile representations suitable for emergent literacy development.
Key findings
The study identified five essential skillsets for creating effective 3DP-ATPs: knowledge about human development (D), emergent literacy (L), tactile graphicacy (G), task management (T), and 3D modeling (M). Critically, no single stakeholder group possessed all five. TVIs and O&M specialists scored highest on human development and graphicacy but lowest on modeling; engineers excelled at modeling but lacked literacy and graphicacy knowledge; librarians understood content translation but struggled with technical tools. Four distinct designer roles emerged from how participants approached the task: End-User Advocates (those who work directly with children with VI, emphasizing individualized design and evaluation by blind users), Content Translators (librarians skilled at "decoding" visual narratives and advocating for artistic integrity), Task Managers (those who analyzed workflow and coordinated activities), and Modelers (technically skilled participants who focused on efficient production). Participants from different groups offered revealing quotes about the challenge. An accessibility librarian noted: "We should ignore elements of illustration that would distract from understanding the meaning of the story." An engineer explained: "The reality of it is any parent with a disabled child isn't going to have the time to sit and model, unless they do that for a living." A TVI emphasized: "The most important thing is to keep the models simple and make sure that you work with the student to make sure they find the tactile picture makes sense to them."
Relevance
This research exposes a fundamental tension in DIY assistive technology: the people who best understand user needs often lack technical skills, while technically skilled makers lack domain expertise. The finding that no single stakeholder group could independently produce effective materials argues strongly for collaborative platforms rather than individual maker efforts. For practitioners, the identified activities provide a framework for organizing 3DP-ATP projects: (A) needs assessment involving people with VI, (B) content selection considering learning goals and artistic intent, (C) representation design balancing simplicity and meaning, and (D) production using modeling templates. Each activity maps to stakeholder strengths. The TVIs' insistence on including children with VI in evaluation—"Get more blind people involved with testing the models and graphics because they will be able to provide more useful feedback than a sighted person"—reinforces participatory design principles. The study also highlights practical barriers: teachers expressed that 3D printing "is not practical right now...it needs to become easier," and many noted time constraints that prevent learning new technologies despite enthusiasm for the outcomes.
Tags: 3D printing · tactile graphics · visual impairment · children · emergent literacy · accessible tactile pictures · maker culture · digital fabrication · TVI · orientation and mobility
Standards referenced: BANA Tactile Graphics Guidelines