Does tactile image have to be tactual?

Abstract

This article is an analysis of educational assistive technologies that support learners with visual impairments in access to and interaction with graphics for mathematics and related academic areas. We will focus on options for students who require non-visual displays accessed via different remaining senses. Images, diagrams, tables or graphs constitute a significant portion of contemporary math textbooks students work with in schools (Dias et al., 2010; Edman, 1992). They convey information in a more succinct format or illustrate concepts that need a graphical presentation. Options available to put the students with visual impairments on a par with their sighted peers when it comes to creating and interacting with non-visual graphics will be listed and discussed. What has been thought of touch-only information delivery format, has been gaining a new interaction and exploration modality. We will propose a classification of non-visual graphics and how these different propositions impact the didactic process.