Abstract for Tactile Graphics 2005

Title: Tactual comic books for children with vision impairment

Presenter: Michael Sutjiadi

Tactual and Bold Print Mapping (TABMAP Committee) Sydney, Australia

Abstract:

Note: read the full paper of this presentation - Word format (122KB)

The aim of “tactual comic books” is for children who are blind to become independent and integrated within the community, by preventing delayed development. It is a learning process, establishing the concept of reality through imaginary cues, rather than visual cues.

The comic book is an art of story telling which communicate with its own vocabularies, e.g. speech and thought bubbles, onomatopoeia, juxtaposed panels, narration box. It is a powerful media, combining images and text, and has a positive potential to impact children’s lives. Comic books are considered as “children’s literature”.

While visually impaired children enjoy reading the tactual comic book, it nourishes their cognition and perception, e.g. sense of distance; notion of perspective; stimulating their tactual senses, as they will be exposed to tactual graphics in daily routine, such as diagrams in maths, science, geography, manual for ATM machines and city maps.

Semiotic theory is an important element in producing tactual comic books, to conceive knowledge of designing tactual graphic representations, creating the characters and objects in the story, writing the comic script all through to the production process, e.g. page layout, sequential tactual images. It is a linguistic study of sign, symbol and icon. Communication is the central concern of semiotics.

A conclusion is drawn, that based on the user trials and design process, tactual comic books have the potential to educate visually impaired children whilst having leisure time. A 5-minute video footage of the user trial will be presented.

Objectives of presentation:

Introducing a new exciting idea for visually impaired children to get used to tactile graphics, which includes early exposure to Braille literacy
Introducing the theory and approach to produce tactual representations
Socialising a new media that visually impaired children can share and talk about with their sighted peers

Outcomes for audience:

Utilizing tactual comic books in a classroom teaching, as well as after school hours
Producing tactual comic books, e.g. comic script writing, creating graphics representations
Expanding the use of tactual graphics
Encouraging tactual producers and educators to see beyond the limitation of 2-D media, to be creative and experimental.

Prior knowledge of topic assumed: Low

Contains advanced technical content: No

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