Below are a list of frequently asked questions. If you cannot
find the answer to your query here or elsewhere on the site please
contact us.
Where are you?
Can I visit the Centre?
Can I call for advice?
How do you produce your diagrams?
Can I order diagrams from outside the UK?
Do you e-mail graphics for production locally?
What is your turnaround time?
Is there a difference between a tactile diagram
and a tactile graphic?
Where are you?
The National Centre for Tactile Diagrams is based at RNIB in the heart of Birmingham
in the UK.
Can I visit the Centre?
We do have visitors to the Centre on a regular basis, and have
open days on request. If you wish to visit please contact
us to make arrangements.
Can I call for advice?
You can call us for advice on anything related to tactile graphics.
Where we are not able to help directly, it is usually possible
for us to put you in touch with someone who can.
How do you produce your graphics?
We use a number of methods depending on the criteria of our clients
from hand-made thermoform diagrams to embossed graphics using
the latest embossers. The majority of our low duplication work
is designed on computer and produced on swell paper.
Can I order tactile graphics from outside the
UK?
Yes, we do produce graphics from our archives for other countries. But we are typically not able to undertake new design for people or organisations outside the UK. Please see our
International pages.
Do you e-mail graphics for production by others?
Currently we do not send out digital copies of graphics. This
is to ensure the quality of our graphics when produced are as
high as the designer intended them to be, and to preserve copyright.
We are exploring methods which will allow us to distribute graphics
digitally, for a possible future service.
What is your turnaround time?
The speed at which we are able to design and produce tactile
graphics varies throughout the year depending on the level of
demand, the availability of our designers, and the complexity
of the design. We usually aim to be able to produce materials
within three weeks, occasionally we may take a little longer,
and we can often produce materials faster than this.
Is there a difference between a tactile diagram
and a tactile graphic?
We typically use the term diagram to refer to any type of graphic
including charts, maps and pictures. In this context the terms
are interchangeable.
