Basics
The translation of images into a tactile language allows people access to the visual information in works of art, maps, architectural and other diagrams, and three-dimensional objects and spaces.
How to Use This Tool
Getting Started
Try It Yourself
How to Use This Tool
In Museums
Tactile diagrams complement a touch tour, for example, when a sculpture is too large for a visitor to access completely through touch. In the galleries, the tactile diagrams of the paintings will enrich the verbal description.
In Classrooms
Classroom teachers can use tactile diagrams to prepare students for a museum visit, or to study art, literature, history, and other academic subjects. Learning to read tactile diagrams is essential for blind and visually impaired students, since it will enable them to read tactile maps, scientific diagrams, and graphs.
Individuals
On their own, students and others may enjoy ABS’s multisensory tactile encyclopedia, Art History Through Touch and Sound, with its hundreds of diagrams.
- Familiarize yourself with the guidelines for creating tactile diagrams.
- Familiarize yourself with the patterns and icons used in the diagrams.
- Review the sample tactile diagrams included in this chapter. Only two are in tactile form; the others may be converted.
Try It Yourself
First, use the diagram without the accompanying verbal description, then with. This will show you how important it is to use the two tools in tandem.
Create your own tactile diagram, then write a verbal description to accompany it.
Tactile diagrams can be created in a variety of ways, and with a variety of materials.
See the article in chapter seven of Art Beyond Sight: A Resource Guide to Art, Creativity, and Visual Impairment on printing methods, as well as chapter 8 on art-making materials.
