Anna Eichler There are 285 million people worldwide who are blind or partially sighted. Braille is essential for literacy and lifelong learning of the blind, their freedom of expression and opinion, and social inclusion. Articles 21 and 24 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Fourth Sustainable Development Goal focus on inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. The World Blind Union emphasizes the relevance of braille alongside new technologies. It is paramount to teach young children braille, and therefore it is important that design and art schools introduce this topic in their curricula.
This presentation showcases the Touch-Readers teaching program conducted at the Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology in 2023 and 2024. The hands-on workshop introduced BA students to the design intricacies of an illustrated book for blind and partially sighted children. The students became familiar with the concept of universal design, the requirements of book design for non-sighted and partially sighted people (i.e. the book’s general layout and colour contrast), legible fonts like Atkinson Hyperlegible or Matilda, and braille fonts. Students also learned about the blind’s understanding of drawing.
During the workshop, students created traditional fabric books with braille text, which usually are produced in a few copies only, and designed raised-print books designated for larger editions. They prototyped their books on swell paper. After the workshop, the prototypes were tested with blind children and redesigned, then prototyped again in silkscreen. Some of the students’ ideas combined the two types of books. A few of the projects were equipped with new technologies and developed towards multisensory experience. Five books created during the workshop received national distinctions at the International Competition of Tactile Illustrated Books Typhlo&Tactus, and one was nominated to the international level.