Classification and Ranking of Factors Affecting the Quality of Tactile Perception of L. Braille Font by Blind People

Abstract

Introduction. In the process of educational and work activities, blind people mostly use tactile sensitivity to perceive information, the presentation of which is mainly realized in a six-dot format according to the well-known Braille system. The problems related to the study of the processes of perception and reproduction of relief-dot font attracted the attention of many domestic and foreign scientists. The effectiveness of perception and the durability of the use of L. Braille images depends on the nature of the cognitive interaction of human senses and the tactile surface. In this regard, the determining condition of quality assurance is the maximum consideration of the needs of blind people at the stage of designing and manufacturing a tactile product. The overall result of qualitative perception of information by blind people will ultimately depend on the accuracy of determining the geometric and tactile characteristics of printed products. The aim of the study. To classify and rank the factors affecting the process of designing and reproducing the L. Braille font to ensure the quality of tactile perception of information by blind people. Materials and methods. Samples of pharmaceutical cardboard packages, which are marked with the L. Braille font by embossing, screen printing and Ink jet printing. For research, methods of electron microscopy, modelling and mathematical statistics were used. Results. The analysis of the level of selected factors influence of tactile products design indicates a significant interaction between them. So, for example, the printing method affects the density of signs and their geometric parameters, in particular the diameter and height of the L. Braille dot, and the type of tactile products and the reading experience depend on the protective coating and the base material. This is confirmed by the results of expert evaluations of the quality of Braille inscriptions, reproduced using various printing methods of reproduction (embossing, screen printing, and ink-jet printing), on samples of pharmaceutical product packages, which showed a significant influence of the chosen method of manufacturing printed products for the blind on the quality of its tactile perception. It has been established that the best readability of relief text is achieved when using digital Ink jet printing technology. Conclusions. The process of assessing the quality of perception of relief inscriptions by the blind is a complex technological task. For the optimal selection of materials and technology for reproduction of L. Braille inscriptions, a large number of factors of perception process of tactile information must be taken into account. The constructed cognitive model of the perception of a tactile product by people with visual impairments allows determining the set of factors of the design process based on the analysis of the multi-level system “tactile product – blind person”, which ensures the performance of all basic cognitive functions for the systematization of the process of ensuring the quality of the L. Braille font.