Conference videos

Opening ceremony

Greger Bååth, Director General, The National Agency for Special Needs Education and Schools (SPSM) and Magnus Larsson, Director General, Swedish Agency for Accessible Media (MTM). Conference moderator: Yvonne Eriksson.

Keynote speakers

Cay Holbrook Ph.D, University of British Columbia. Tactile Reading – The Importance of Political, Cultural and Pedagogical Perspectives in Providing Support for Readers of Braille and Tactile Graphics

Anneli Veispak. Ph.D, University of Leuven. The world beneath the fingertips and the cognitive processes that make it possible

Professor Yvonne Eriksson, Mälardalen University. Human centered design and the significance of user involvement

Professor Edouard Gentaz, University of Geneva. Touching for knowing

Session 1

1:1 Dr. Barry Hughes, University of Auckland, Sensorimotor control and braille reading

Session 2. Pre-braille literacy

2:1 Gwyneth McCormack, Positive Eye Ltd. Buckets, boxes & baskets! Promoting a holistic approach to pre-braille

2:2 Marc Angelier and Marie Oddoux, PEP-SRA. Ready for Pre-Braille? Let’s Play With the Six Dots Cell!

2:3 Sirli Lellep, Tartu Emajõe School. Learning Braille – Case study: Teaching Braille to a 5-year-old Estonian child.

2:4 Gun Olsson, Swedish Agency for Accessible Media. The Braille bag: Inspiration and support to families.

Session 3. Braille and mathematics

3:1 Oliv Klingenberg and Ole Erik Jevne, Statped midt. Linking mobility and mathematics: Learning about location through concepts in mobility and mathematics

3:2 Eric de Quartel and Thessa Stevenson Doosje, Bartiméus. A BrailleStudio Experience

3:3 Benjamín Júlíusson and Helga Björg Ragnarsdótti, National institution for the blind, visually impaired and deafblind in Iceland. Math for beginners: Making math fun for young children

3:4 Ulrika Vanhoenacker, National Agency for Special Needs Education and Schools in Sweden. Making Mathematics Accessible: A study of how paraeducators work with adaptations

Session 4. Tactile art

4:1 Ann Cunningham, Colorado Center for the Blind. Exploring Museums reaching beyond the glass

4:2 Ann Blokland, Van Gogh Museum. Feeling Van Gogh: making Vincent van Gogh’s art accessible.

4:3 Sarah Remgren and Torbjörn Svensson, Project managers of Kännbart. Kännbart – an art project: Art, exchange, competence – the key to success.

4:4 Kristina Elisabeth Steinbock MA/MFA, The Institute for the Blind and Partially Sighted in Copenhagen. The relationship between tactile, kinaesthetic and sound experiences in visual arts.

Session 5. Braille and literacy

5:1 Astrid Kristin Vik and Jorun Hauge, Statped. Introduction to braille: Supporting pupils in primary schools in Norway.

5:2 Leonoor Soet and Mieke Urff, Dedicon. Tactile Textbooks that fit students with visual impairments using mainstream books.

5:3 Skye Jones and Sharon Rattray, South Australian School for Vision Impaired. Braille Butterflies: The Four Stages of Metamorphosis to Braille Proficiency.

Session 6. Development of tactual understanding

6:1 Dr. Ans Withagen, Royal Dutch Visio. Concept development of Blind Children

6:2 Dannyelle Valente Post-Doc and Professor Edouard Gentaz, University of Geneva. Development and evaluation of haptic-books.

6:3 BJ Epstein M Arch, LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired. The Language of Lines: The Design and Use of Tactile Graphics.

Session 7. Techniques in tactile graphics

7:1 Charlotte Magnusson and Kirsten Rassmus-Gröhn, Lund University. Digital material and 3D-prints in education – separate or combined?

7:2 Leona Holloway, Monash University. Jumping off the page: 3D printing for tactile representation of graphics.

7:3 Janja Plazar Ph.D, University of Primorska. Tactile science education for visually impaired children: The life cycle of the brimstone butterfly.

Session 9. Braille and literacy

9:1 Anders Rönnbäck and Kia Johansson, National Agency of Special Needs Education and Schools in Sweden. Developing decoding skills and fluency in braille reading.

9:2 Gyntha Goertz, Royal Dutch Visio. Braille reading technique: How to increase the speed of Braille reading.

9:3 Luis Gonzalez-García Ph.D, The National Organisation of the Spanish Blind. Reading speed and comprehension in braille.

9:4 Mary D’Andrea Ph.D, Carolina Central University. iBraille Challenge App: Technology & Fun for Students Who Use Braille Frances.

Session 10. Tactile picture books

10:1 Philippe Claudet, Les Doigts Qui Rêvent. Tactile Books: From the Ground Up Including Two Paradoxes.

10:2 Abigale Stangl, University of Colorado. The Tactile Picture Book Project: Opportunities for Design, Customization, and Access to Tactile Picture Books Through Digital Fabrication and Broadscale Community Engagement.

10:3 Colette Pelt, Picture Books Plus. Tactile illustrations improve interactive reading.

10:4 Dr. Aksinja Kermauner, University of Primorska. Tactile Semiotic Code in Tactile Picture Book.

Session 11. Design for inclusion

11:1 Gro Aasen Ph.D, Statped. Tactile symbols and schedules: Enhancing activity and observing the use of tactile schedules.

11:2 Mandy Lau MDes, Reach & Match. Achieving inclusion among children with and without vision impairment – Reach & Match Fun for All.

11:4 Ann M. Conefrey, independent graphic designer. Inclusive Tactile Design: Designing with braille and tactile graphics.

Sessioin 12. Braille reading development

12:1 Kim de Verdier, National Agency for Special Needs Education and Schools. Reading development for six students with blindness or severe visual impairment.

12:2 Ann Jönsson, The Swedish Association of the Visually Impaired. In the borderland – Why is it important for partially sighted children to learn Braille?

12:3 Dr. Robert Englebretson, Rice University. Writing System or Code? -a Potential Disconnect Between Braille Readers and Teachers.

12:4 Dorine in ‘t Veld, Dedicon Math Notation: Is a Braille Code indispensable?

Session 13. Development of tactual understanding

13:1 Ass. Professor Kim T. Zebehazy, University of British Columbia. Conquering Complexity: Student Strategy Use to Understand Tactile Graphics.

13:2 Richa Gupta, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. Accessing Tactile Graphics: Evaluating the Use of Variable Height.

13:3 Riitta Kangasaho and Tuija Piili-Jokinen, Valteri Center for Learning and Consulting. Optimizing tactile images and maps for learning materials.

13:4 Anneli Embe, National agency for Special Needs Education and Schools in Sweden. “Art does not have to be visual” – Students with visual impairment and their art teachers about motivation in art.

Session 14. Tactile graphics

14:1 Bogusław Marek Ph.D, Order of the British Empire. Recognizability of tactile graphics: Evidence from analysis of drawings made by learners with a visual impairment from different cultural backgrounds.

14:2 Hoëlle Corvest, DUGTA Association. Tactile images: production, dissemination, pedagogy.

14:3 Thessa Stevenson-Doosje, Bartiméus school. Tactile images –project results ‘Discover your world’.

14:4 Abigale Stangl and Ann Cunningham. Inclusive Design of Tactile Story Graphics and Objects: Engaging Blind People to Write their Own Story, and Design Their Own Tactile Graphics.

Extra

Poster and demo pitches

Exhibitor pitches