Literature Reviews
Reviewed research papers, articles, and publications relevant to digital accessibility.
85 results found tagged tactile graphics.
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A Tactile Windowing System for Blind Users
This paper from Technische Universität Dresden presents the Braille Window System (BWS), a windowing interface designed for a large planar tactile display — the BrailleDis9000, a touch-sensitive pin-matrix of 120 columns and 60 rows (7,200 pins). Sta…
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Learning Non-Visual Graphical Information Using a Touch-Based Vibro-Audio Interface
This paper evaluates a vibro-audio interface on a commercial Samsung Galaxy tablet that provides non-visual access to graphical information through synchronized vibration and audio feedback triggered by touch exploration. When users trace their finge…
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Comparison of Reading Accuracy between Tactile Pie Charts and Tactile Band Charts
This short paper compares the accuracy and efficiency of reading tactile pie charts versus tactile band charts for determining proportional data through touch. The authors are developing software that automatically generates tactile charts from CSV d…
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Tracking @stemxcomet: Teaching Programming to Blind Students via 3D Printing, Crisis Management, and Twitter
This paper describes the design and execution of a four-day programming workshop for blind and visually impaired high school students, conducted as part of the National Federation of the Blind's STEM-X summer science camp. Nine students (grades 8-12)…
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Tactile Graphics with a Voice Demonstration
This demonstration paper presents Tactile Graphics with a Voice (TGV), a system that makes labels on tactile graphics accessible to blind and low vision users who do not read Braille. STEM textbooks are filled with images — from parabolas to cell dia…
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Evaluation of Non-Visual Panning Operations Using Touch-Screen Devices
This demonstration paper addresses a critical challenge in non-visual access to graphical information on touchscreens: how to pan across large-format graphics (maps, floor plans) without losing spatial orientation. The authors built on their Vibro-Au…
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Tactile Aids for Visually Impaired Graphical Design Education
This demonstration paper describes the creation of over 10 tactile aids using laser cutting and 3D printing to make graphic design theory accessible to a visually impaired student enrolled in an introduction to human-centered computing class at UMBC.…
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New Tools for Automating Tactile Geographic Map Translation
This demo paper presents a Matlab-based software tool that semi-automates the conversion of visual geographic maps into tactile versions suitable for blind students. Tactile graphics are the most effective modality for blind people to comprehend grap…
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Tactile Graphics with a Voice: Using QR Codes to Access Text in Tactile Graphics
This paper presents Tactile Graphics with a Voice (TGV), a system that makes text labels in tactile graphics accessible by replacing Braille labels with QR codes that can be scanned and read aloud using a smartphone. The motivation is significant: wh…
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Multimodal Trajectory Playback for Teaching Shape Information and Trajectories to Visually Impaired Computer Users
This research investigates how haptic (force-feedback) and audio trajectory playback can teach shapes and gestures to blind and visually impaired computer users. The fundamental challenge addressed is that spatial information—shapes, diagrams, graphs…