Tactile Graphics Guidelines

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
October 28, 2017

Much of text content in textbooks, handbooks, and worksheets are presented in graphic form. This includes high stakes tests where students will be required to interpret graphs, charts and tactual diagrams. The Braille Authority of North America (BANA) has developed guidelines and standards for the production of tactual graphics. According to BANA, “The purpose of these guidelines and standards is to provide transcribers, educators, and producers with information about best practices, current methods, and design principles for the production of readable tactile graphics.” It is essential for tactual graphics in textbooks and assessments to follow these guidelines.

General Guidelines

  1. ​​Decide if a tactile graphic needs to be made at all. BANA includes a decision tree to help determine if it is appropriate to make the tactile graphic.
  2. Graphics should be tactually clear and contain only relevant information based on an understanding of what is being taught and what the student’s task is.
  3. Graphics should be redrawn in 2 dimensions where possible with the exception of some mathematical and scientific diagrams.
  4. Follow the Braille Authority of North America’s (BANA) “Guidelines for Mathematical Diagrams.”

Key Design Guidelines

​BANA provides a downloadable 362 page manual on Tactual Graphics guidelines. The following are just a couple of the key points! ​​Don't be intimidated by the overwhelming amount of rules for creating graphics. Although planning ahead is ideal, some flexibility is permitted in order to provide “on the spot” graphics as needed.
  1. Avoid clutter and simplify.
  2. Use texture sparingly and only to add information.
  3. Limit the lines, points, and symbols on a drawing to ones that can be easily identified one from another by touch.
  4. Use different tactile symbols for different types of information.
  5. Use lead lines only as a last resort. Use keys or notes as alternatives.
  6. Explain and define all graphic symbols, either on the same page, facing page, or special symbols page.
  7. Use Grade 2 braille contractions in labels.
  8. A two-cell braille symbol is preferable to a one-cell symbol for labels.
  9. Try not to break the integrity of a shape with a braille label.

Additional Resources on Tactile Graphics

BANA logo
Braille Authority of North America (BANA) The mission of BANA is to assure literacy for tactile readers through the standardization of braille and/or tactile graphics. BANA disseminates rules, makes interpretations and renders opinions pertaining to braille codes and guidelines for the provisions of literary and technical materials and related forms and formats of embossed materials now in existence or to be developed in the future for the use of people who are blind in North America. BANA can be found at brailleauthority.org.

Their publication on Guidelines and Standards for Tactile Graphics is available in hardcopy format through the American Printing House for the Blind (APH). This 365 page manual is also available online for download. This can be found on the BANA website. The following are some key points from the guidelines.
Picture of someone exploring tactile graphics
Tactile Graphics A great resource on everything pertaining to the creation of tactile graphics can be found on the Tactile Graphics site created and maintained by Lucia Hasty, who is a consultant and has developed training materials on tactile graphics. She is also a co-author of the recent BANA Guidelins and standards for Tactile Graphics. 
APH logo
​APH's Guidelines for Design of Tactile Graphics
APH specifies guidelines developed out of an APH workshop involving Nancy Aick, Jane Corcoran, and APH staff in July 1997. They are meant to expand on and clarify guidelines. 
APH's Tactile Graphic Image Library (TGIL)
APH's Tactile Graphic Image Library contains a collection of templates to aid with the creation of tactile graphics. Visit APH and register for free to access the Image Library and find templates for your needs. 
Good Tactile Graphic book
Good Tactile Graphic: Booklet This booklet, available through APH, provides specific guidelines for the design of tactile graphics, expanding on those mentioned in the videos on the Good Tactile Graphic DVD. It also provides further resources and information that may be of use to creators of tactile graphics. In addition, it contains actual samples of some of the tactile graphics depicted in the videos.

Additional Tactile Graphics Pages...

Creating Tactile Graphics
​Tactile Graphics Instruction

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