ACCESSIBLE ASTRONOMY: HOW TO ADAPT ACTIVITIES FOR BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED LEARNERS USING LOW COST MATERIALS

In the past, astronomy was considered to be primarily a visual subject. But times have changed, and the field of astronomy education has evolved to include other senses such as sight, sound and touch. Multisensory themes and methods of instruction have attracted new audiences to learn about topics in STEM. In this paper, I share my experiences in developing adaptations of activities for the Big Astronomy Outreach Toolkit. I begin by exploring examples and strategies of how inexpensive materials can be used to modify or sometimes expand upon activities through universal design, with the goal of reducing or eliminating barriers to participation.