HOW TO PRODUCE

TACTILE DRAWING FOR

LEARNING MATHEMATICS
“Making Learners Think with
the fingertips not the Eyes”
 Questions:
• Discuss the meaning of the Phrase “Think with the Fingertip not the Eyes”.
• What are tactile Drawings?
• Are there significant roles played by tactile drawings in mathematics lessons in your
school?
• Identify the different devices and materials that support in the production of tactile
drawing.
•
• As mathematics Braille Teachers we must decide whether to use a Tactile drawing or
not.
• Does the Picture or drawing add anything to the understanding or if it just makes
the document look more appealing?
This means the Visually challenged Learners must be supported to “Think with the
fingertips not the eyes”
Preamble
As mathematics Braille Teachers we must decide whether to use a Tactile
drawing or not.
Does the Picture or drawing the add anything to the understanding or if
it just makes the document look more appealing?
• This means the Visually challenged Learners must be supported to
“Think with the fingertips not the eyes”
• We can achieve this through the use of devices such as:
i. Perkins, Slate and stylus, Drawing mat and spur wheel
ii. Embosser, DBT software, Laptops with Tactile View Design Software,
NVDA etc.
What is a tactile drawing?
This is a tactile graphics with sensory modality to deliver information
through touch.
The tactile graphics convey content in the form of: maps, charts,
building layouts, schematic diagrams, and images of geometric figures.
• They use raised surfaces to help the Visually challenged learner to feel
them by touch.
Why Do We Need Tactile Drawings?
They are used to convey non-textual information such as geometric figures,
graphs and diagrams.
They make the Visually impaired Learners to explore learning possibilities by
sense of touch.
They help the Mathematics Teachers to communicate effectively with the Braille
users.
• The Tactile sense keeps Learners in touch with their environment.
• It promotes collaboration between teachers and the learners in the Classroom
environment.
• Finally Learners develop positive energy and attitude towards Learning of
mathematics.
The Rubber Mat Board
This is a Geometrical Device with Spur Wheel and Rubber Mat.
This is a great learning tool for blind students learning about geometry,
mathematics or engineering.
• The Set includes board with rubber mat, a protractor with swing-arm,
a compass, spur wheel, a ruler and two triangle shaped rulers, all with
inch marks depicted in Braille.
Modern Rubber Mat Board
• Modern Rubber Mat Boards are not common in most Secondary
schools.
• The TactiPad is a versatile drawing board which enables a visually
impaired person (VIP) to make a tactile drawing by hand. By firmly
pressing down on the foil with your pen, the lines will raise instantly,
forming the tactile image.
• Secondly, they are expensive and most supplied to schools by NGOs
and other organizations.
• Hence there’s need to Use other available alternative resources and
materials to improvise it.
The modern rubber mat board
Materials Required
• Plywood of dimensions 35cm by 28cm by 2cm
• Wood glue
• Sand paper
• Rubber from inner car tyre
• Drawing pin/Thumb pins
• Pair of scissors
• Metre rule
• Hand saw
The rubber Mat Board
Procedure (Steps)
• Cut the plywood into two rectangles of dimensions 35cn by 28cm.
• Using wood glue, attach the two pieces together and allow to settle for
6hours resting on a flat surface.
• Rub the edges of the glued plywood with sand paper until evenly smooth
to prevent injury to the learner or any other person.
• Cut the rubber tube (inner tube) of the car tyre and cover one surface of
the board with it.
• Using a strong adhesive gum/glue firmly fit the rubber onto the wood
and allow to dry at Least 3hours
• The Rubber Mat Board is now ready to be used to make a tactile drawing.
How to Use the Board
• A 30cm ruler made from recycled plastic with black tactile markings is used to draw the
shape e.g. rectangle on the paper using pen.
• The paper is placed on the rubber board with the writing facing upwards.
• Place the ruler on the paper and run the spur wheel firmly along the ink mark on the
paper all round.
• Remove the Paper from the Board and read after turning down the side which was up.
• The learner can now explore the tactile shape and answer mathematical problems with it.
Note:
• The ruler Measures accurately to within 0.5cm, with two different edges – straight and
notched.
• The straight edge can be used for measuring and drawing, while the notched edge is
designed to help place pins when creating charts and graphs or using a compass.
The 30cm ruler with Braille adaptations
Which Mathematical Concepts can We
address Using Tactile Drawings?
• Coordinate axes: Drawing, Labelling and Location of given points.
• Integers
• Area of shapes
• Vectors and Translation
• Algebra
Task !
1. Using the Rubber mat Board, Spur wheel or stylus Draw the
following shapes:
• Rectangle
• Circle
• Triangle
Measure the Dimensions of each figure you have drawn.
Hence calculate the areas of the figures you have drawn.
A Learner was given an assignment to find the product of two numbers
27 and 45. Show the possible ways in which the answer can be
obtained.
• Find the different ways of Hett6a result of 24 from the set of numbers
1,2,3 and 4. Use each number once in each case.
Thank You!
• mbharryson@gmail.com