As someone with low vision and diminished sensitivity in my hands as the result of Chiari Malformation, I don’t read braille or use tactile modalities as a primary or secondary learning channel; none of the members of my support team had ever considered it as an option. For years, I thought that tactile graphics and tactile information was completely inaccessible to me because I had to apply pressure to feel textures or that I was better off accessing information exclusively through visual or auditory formats, believing that I couldn’t benefit from tactile images with low vision.
It wasn’t until I worked with a student who also had the same limited sensitivity in their hands that I discovered several strategies for how to create tactile images with everyday objects and collage-style materials for people with decreased tactile sensitivity. Seeing the student successfully engage with these materials made me realize that I could use a lot of the strategies on my own, and I have since used them with several others as well.
Here is an updated list of ideas and strategies for how to create tactile images with everyday objects and collage-style materials for individuals with decreased hand sensitivity that can still access information visually. Please note that this list is by no means all-encompassing or an in-depth expert guide on tactile graphics— I just wanted to document what has worked well in my own experience!
Identify areas of increased sensitivity and/or decreased sensitivity
There are many reasons a visually impaired individual can have decreased sensitivity in their hands, such as cerebral palsy, neuropathy, injury, and other neurological conditions. Allied professionals like physical therapists and occupational therapists can often provide information about decreased hand sensitivity through tests, as well as activity ideas for improving sensitivity and tactile discrimination. Individuals can also provide their own answers to the following questions to help with identifying tactile access options:
- Is one hand more sensitive than another?
- Which finger(s) are more sensitive? While the index finger is often seen as the “default” for accessing tactile graphics, it is not the only option!
- Can other body parts be used to feel information? I worked with one student who would use another part of their arm to examine information.
Personally, I identified other fingers on my hands that worked better than my index finger for interacting with tactile materials, or I would use multiple fingers to explore different parts of a graphic, using visual information like color to help guide where to touch— a strategy that can also be helpful for people with double vision.
Related links
- High Contrast and Low Vision
- How To Modify Accessible Anatomy Graphics For Low Vision
- How To Describe Science Experiments For Visually Impaired Students
- Disability Accommodations For Fluctuating Eyesight
- Two of Everything: Living With Double Vision
Using the floor and vertical surfaces as a canvas
Instead of having tactile images only on paper or that were designed to be explored with hands, one of the coolest strategies I learned for tactile learning with limited tactile sensitivity was to think of floors and walls as potential canvases. This could include:
- Using painter’s tape to create a grid on the floor and using 3D objects or having the student move to different places
- Creating large scale colored/textured graphs on a wall
- Having an individual move their arms or legs to form different shapes, or teaching memory strategies using fingers/movements
- Placing a protractor rug on the floor and using the door to show angles
- Clock face pattern on ground
- Hula hoops connected to form a Venn diagram
- Manipulatives contained within a sheet pan or placed on a table/dry-erase board
Another strategy that connects to tactile access is kinesthetic or movement-based learning. For example, when I was struggling with trigonometry and understanding the differences between different graphs, my friend sent me a “dancing mathematician” comic that showed different arm positions that corresponded to different types of equations, such as holding arms in a y-shape for the equation y=|x|. This was a super helpful strategy as I was learning to identify different equations visually.
Related links
- The Best Study Tips For Visually Impaired Students
- Adapting Coin Activities: Math Problems For Low Vision
- The Best Study Tips For Auditory Learners
- Upcycling Yoga Mats Into Assistive Technology
- How To Describe Dance Choreography Videos For Visually Impaired
Heavy duty tape and industrial tape
Washi tape and thin colored tape can provide visual contrast and subtle textural contrast, but may not be enough for individuals with decreased tactile sensitivity. Instead, consider using textured tapes that are designed to provide high contrast and a rough tactile sensation, such as:
- Outdoors tape
- Safety tape
- Marine electrical tape
- Anti-slip tape (designed for step nosing on stairs)
These tapes can be cut to size and placed on top of tactile graphics, or used to outline shapes or maps for orientation and mobility lessons. I find these easier to position compared to gritty surfaces like sandpaper, which I got injured handling during a project.
Related links
- Tactile Pavement and Accessible Walkways For Visually Impaired
- Smartphone Apps For Orientation and Mobility
- Accessible Maps and Wayfinding Tools For Low Vision
Bump dots and tactile dots
Standard size braille is equivalent to approximately 28-pt font, measuring 10 mm in size. While this post doesn’t focus on braille access, one strategy that I have used in lieu of braille labels is adhesive tactile dots or bump dots for labeling, which can be helpful for medications or labeling items nonvisually. Bump dots and tactile dots come in various sizes and colors, with options for clear dots and opaque/colored dots in several shades.
Related links
- Assistive Technology For Medication Labels
- Mainstream Technology and Low Vision: Keyboards
- How To Organize and Identify Cords For Low Vision
Magnets on a sheet pan or vertical surface
Some tactile graphics are designed to be manipulatives, where the individual is expected to move pieces around or rearrange items. Magnets on a sheet pan, music stand, or other surface can be a great medium for the following:
- Creating charts, graphs, or other data visualizations
- Plotting points on a coordinate plane
- Rearranging 3-D items with a magnet attached to the back
When I was learning the braille alphabet and was struggling with the small dots, my instructor suggested that I try using color-coded magnets to form the dot patterns, with each dot having a different color. This was helpful for forming a mental model of what braille looks like, which I needed to know to work on an art project.
Related links
- Upcycling Music Stands into Assistive Technology
- Adapting Accessible Charts: Math Problems and Low Vision
- Free Braille Art and Tactile Image Libraries: World Braille Day 2024
Thumbtacks on paper or cork
One of my professors noticed that I was having trouble seeing a coordinate plane and a circuit board graphic when we were meeting during office hours, so they placed a thumbtack through the page to show a visual and tactile label for where I should look. Before our next meeting, they asked me to complete a circuit board simulator using color-coded thumbtacks instead of drawing symbols, and then rearranged the thumbtacks in our next meeting to provide feedback. I placed the thumbtacks on paper with a cork trivet underneath, and noticed that the thumbtacks didn’t move when I pressed down or applied pressure.
Related links
- Adapting Coordinate Planes: Math Problems and Low Vision
- Organizing Hanging Storage With Vision Loss
Adhesive tape and 3D objects
One of my friends was telling me about how they were struggling to create a tactile graphic of a baseball for an activity when they suddenly stopped talking mid-conversation and said “what if I just attached a real baseball to the board?” Velcro and other adhesive tapes are a helpful tool for attaching objects to a surface, which the individual can then remove to explore more in-depth and reattach to the page. Having the option to explore items with hands and not just fingers can make it easier for individuals with limited hand sensitivity to understand what an item looks like, and can be especially helpful for developing mental models of what items look like/feel like.
Related links
- How To Describe Science Experiments For Visually Impaired Students
- Adapting Accessible Trifold Posters For Low Vision
- Decorating Easter Eggs With Low Vision
- Tips For Visiting Aquariums With Low Vision
- iOS Magnifier and Low Vision Accessibility
- Watching MLB Baseball Games With Low Vision
Cotton-covered wire
Many of the students I have worked with can use Wikki Stix wax sticks (which are a popular choice for tactile graphics), but others needed something with more structure since the Wikki Stix have yarn inside. Cotton-covered floral wire is another option for creating shapes that cannot easily be bent or rearranged, and has a thin profile that can be layered with other materials. Pipe cleaners/chenille sticks may also be considered as they have bright, high contrast colors, but they may “shed” or become matted when touched frequently.
Other tips on creating tactile images for limited hand sensitivity
- Refreshable braille displays and digital braille can be adjusted to have “harder” dots, which may be helpful for individuals who have reduced sensitivity and find hard copy braille too soft.
- Foam stickers can provide a color + soft tactile indicator, and can withstand increased pressure from pressing down to examine objects.
- I’ve used a few different tactile access strategies when teaching clarinet— learn more in Learning Clarinet With Low Vision and How To Modify An Instrument Fingering Chart For Low Vision
- Looking for free tactile graphics? Read Free Braille Art and Tactile Image Libraries: World Braille Day 2024
Published November 28, 2017. Updated January 2025