Tactile Collider: A new approach to the communication of fundamental science to visually impaired people

Abstract

There is a large public interest in topics such as the Large Hadron Collider and the Higgs boson, primarily communicated to school children and the wider public using visual methods. As a result, visually impaired audiences of all ages often have difficulty accessing the scientific communication and may not be culturally involved in the scientific process. Tactile Collider aims to address this issue and has developed new methods of engaging visually impaired children and adults in science by the creation of the Tactile Collider model. This model has been developed with visual impairment (VI) experts and consultations, and implemented in a national touring event called Tactile Collider, visiting VI schools and centres around the country between 2017 and 2019. This paper describes the model and its development, and the use of the model to curate Tactile Collider events in 2017 and 2018. We present a quantitative and qualitative analysis of three 2018 events, showing the effectiveness of the approach and the engagement of the audience. The broader applicability is discussed.

Making chemistry accessible for learners with vision impairment

“…Tactile models can be very effective in illustrating scientific concepts. One example is Tactile Collider, which was designed to make particle accelerator physics accessible to people with VI 8 . Pupils who took part in the project said that it inspired them to learn new things.…”

Carbon for Water Treatment: A Chemistry Experiment That Is Accessible for Vision Impaired People

“…Participants also realized that science could be made accessible with 69% saying that they felt inspired to learn new things after taking part. 17 In this paper, we describe a simple classroom chemistry experiment aimed at secondary/high school pupils that is accessible for people with VI. Something that is key to the idea of an "accessible" experiment is that it is equally engaging and educating to all.…”

“…Feedback showed that, after participating, pupils felt more able to ask for modifications in school if they felt they could not access things fully. Participants also realized that science could be made accessible with 69% saying that they felt inspired to learn new things after taking part …”