Exploring the Design of Audio-Kinetic Graphics for Education

Abstract

Creating tactile representations of visual information, especially moving images, is difficult due to a lack of available tactile computing technology and a lack of tools for authoring tactile information. To address these limitations, we developed a software framework that enables educators and other subject experts to create graphical representations that combine audio descriptions with kinetic motion. These audio-kinetic graphics can be played back using off-the-shelf computer hardware. We report on a study in which 10 educators developed content using our framework, and in which 18 people with vision impairments viewed these graphics on our output device. Our findings provide insights on how to translate knowledge of visual information to non-visual formats.