Visualizations and pictures for the visually impaired and its connection to STEM education

Visualization is an important tool for teaching abstract subjects such as mathematics and for processing and expressing thoughts, also in art. Blind individuals cannot obtain information from two-dimensional visualizations, but they can touch structured surfaces with their fingers. To aid visually impaired students in creating and reading tangible, 3D printable visualizations, we have developed a generator that produces three-dimensional reliefs of images through techniques used by artists to make artwork more tangible. Our research includes interviews with visually impaired individuals to uncover new approaches and improve our touchable 3D visualizations. Additionally, we asked over 30 pre-service mathematics teachers through an open questionnaire whether 3D printing offers educational benefits for students to find potential connections between 3D printing and STEM education. Our findings hint towards opportunities for STEM education for both visually impaired and non-impaired students.