Imagine never having seen a castle before and having no reference point other than relying on the visual-based descriptions other sighted people have given you. How do you really know what a castle is? Now imagine being able to explore a scale model of a castle with touch, and getting to formulate your own understanding of the walls, the towers, the turrets…and now the descriptions make more sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For partially sighted or blind people, touch is incredibly important for experiencing the world around them. Access to appropriate tactile information can mean the difference between feelings of belonging and alienation in environments where sight is taken for granted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If more tactile information was available to the blind, more accessibility could be cultivated. 3D printing provides an excellent method to help expand on this and create more touch-based tools and aids to those that rely on touch more than sight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Caroline\nKarbowski was in high school she started See3D<\/a>, a program that 3D prints models in any\nsize upon request. A smaller model can be printed for a general familiarization\nwith the object while a larger model can provide more details and allow for\nfurther exploration. Karbowski started by printing models for her friend\nCassandra who is blind: \u201cI\nasked her, \u2018How would you describe a castle?\u2019\u201d Karbowski remembered. \u201cAnd she\nsaid, \u2018I can now feel the turrets. I can feel the walkways and the doorways. I\nhave a more clear and vivid image of what \u2018castle\u2019 means. Before I touched the\nmodel, castle<\/em> was just a word.\u2019 And I\nthought, we need to make concepts more than just words.\u201d This process is\nsomething that Caroline hopes will become a regular assignment for students in\nhigh school 3D printing classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having a three-dimensional model that illustrates what the class is learning about is helpful to any student whether they are sighted or blind. It enables students to learn from the same object in their own way and facilitates an integrated learning environment. Pre-3D printing tactile models do exist but in limited capacity and could be highly expensive. 3D printing makes it possible to inexpensively print a model of almost anything, so there is no limit to this type of tactile learning. It is also possible to add braille to any design as needed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Gamers and gaming companies are already using 3D printing to create customizable games and accessories for a more personalized experience. This means adding braille is also possible. Any of your favorite games can be re-designed printed with braille or other tactile information. In Greece, 33 students from two different high schools produced creative 3D printed projects carrying braille, including a sudoku board<\/a> and a rubix cube<\/a>. Both models can be downloaded and printed through Shapeways.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBraille\nEmbossed Gaming<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n