Multi-semester Projects to Improve Braille Instruction for Visual Impairments

For many years, faculty have worked with local community organizations to provide students project-based learning by developing assistive technology for people with disabilities. Most of these projects have been very effective at inspiring and motivating students to apply their technical skills to solve problems encountered in educational, occupational, and recreational tasks, as well as routine activities of daily living. However, the time constraints of a single semester made it difficult to provide a technical solutions, get feedback from users, and incorporate changes needed to make a usable end product. Faculty and students have partnered with a local agency to engage students in the development of assistive technology for people who are blind or visually impaired. The agency identified the need for new equipment to assist with braille instruction since prior products had limitations making them difficult to use. Students from Engineering Technology (ET) programs worked with students in the Community and Behavior Health (CBH) program to develop and build a prototype braille scrabble game. CBH students provided the developmental specifications and evaluations for the blocks, and the ET students provided design details and prototypes. The agency then used the prototypes and provided feedback for improvements to be used as a starting point for the following semester. After several years of semester-by-semester iterations, a series of projects has proven to be an incredible learning opportunity which has led to development of real improvements in braille instruction.