The design and production of tactile graphic material for the visually impaired

This article, which is based on a special study carried out for the National Swedish Board for Technical Development, falls into three sections. The first presents a categorised list, with short descriptions (and evaluation, where possible), of techniques currently available (in principle, at least) for producing tactile diagrams, illustrations, maps, graphs, etc. The second section includes a general discussion of the areas of application for this material, the role of design in the production of the various types of graphic material, and finally, the resulting implications for the future development of new techniques and approaches within this area. In the concluding section, it is argued that if new production techniques are to be successful, then appropriate design criteria and training programmes for potential users must be developed simultaneously.