Thanks to funding from the Beeckman Fund, Nicolas could have a 5-day training at the CNEFEI-INSHEA about 2D computer-aided drawing for developping tactile drawings specifically for visually impaired people.
This training took place at the CNEFEI, that since then became the INS HEA (National Institute for training and research for the education of young impaired and specific teaching). The objective of this training was to learn how to use VISIO, a software with which one can realize tactile drawings, how it can be adapted and the standards of readibility of tactile maps.
Originally VISIO was designed for making technical drawings in 2D. It was then adapted to making tactile documents for visually impaired people. Specific textures were created so that they could easily be distinguished.
There was a first theoretical part to the training: we learnt about the standards of readibility, learning process for the visually impaired people and the elements one should retain for making a tactile drawing. In order for a tactile drawing to be readible and understandable by a visually impaired person, one should limit oneself in the number of elements to be représented: make a choice of those that will be useful for reading the document and make away with those that will overload it and make it ununderstandable.
The second part focussed on the practical realisation of tactile drawings : scientific graphics, architecture, city maps, strips etc. This second part was not the shortest and not the easiest: we became aware of the opportunities but also of the limits of the use of this software and this technique.
In conclusion, this was a very interesting training in an agreeable environment: I will remember it with much pleasure for a long time !
Nicolas