The master's thesis includes several overlapping areas. The main topic of the Master’s thesis is the inclusion of blind and partially sighted people, especially children. The topic includes work with children with special needs and the organisation or adaptation of the contents of the learning path for blind and partially sighted, so that the contents of the learning path could be available to them in the form of a tactile picture book.
In the review of the literature, I focused on the structure and the functioning of human senses, especially the eyes and defined the concepts of blindness and low vision. I was interested in how the blind and partially sighted perceive space how they learn and how they can live independently. I also presented the learning path “Čez Most po modrost” which is placed at Most na Soči. In 2005 the museum in Tolmin set up the learning path Čez Most po modrost which describes the rich cultural and historical heritage of the place. In 2020, as part of a student project, the contents of the route were enhanced with the topics from the area's natural heritage.
In the empirical part of assignment, I focused on the possibilities to addapt the selected contents of the learning path “Čez Most po modrost” so it could be used by the vulnerable group of people – blind and partially sighted people. As the best option for presenting content, I chose a tactile picture book that enables users to learn about reality through touch. I made two prototypes of those books, one for adults and one for the children, which adjusted based on the intended age and experience of the readers. They contain selected content from the aforementioned learning path. I gave the prepared prototype of tactile picture books to blind and partially sighted people and collected their feedback. Based on that feedback I prepared the final version of tactile picture books.
In the conclusion of my master's thesis, I highlighted the key experiences with the hand making of a tactile picture book. It will be of help to individuals who would like to present certain content to the blind and partially sighted with the help of tactile images.
|