Can Sketches by People with Visual Impairments Inform the Design of Intuitive Tactile Symbols?—Findings from a Pilot Study with Students from a School for the Visually Impaired

Abstract

Tactile symbols which are meaningful to people with visual impairments (PVI) are easier to remember. However, how PVI retrieve information from memory to decode structure and function of a tactile symbol has not been studied in-depth. Therefore, this study investigated how sketches of architectural features drawn by PVI can offer insights about underlying mental images. Thirty students from a school for PVI sketched from memory five architectural features—staircase, ramp, elevator, door, and toilet. Retrospective protocol analysis was used to learn from participants about why a sketch represented a feature. Findings indicate that architectural features were primarily represented in a specific reference plane by one or two dominant geometric shapes raising possibilities for a common underlying mental image. Preliminary findings suggest that sketches by PVI relate to both structure and function. Insights about underlying mental images can offer new perspectives on developing tactile symbols for and with PVI.