Children with visual impairment do not perceive the world in the same way as sighted people. As a result, they need specific educational tools, including children’s books, that enhance their skills and senses. A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), in collaboration with the Université Lumière Lyon 2, the Université Paris 8 and the publishing house “Les Doigts Qui Rêvent”, has designed a book of tactile illustrations to which sounds have been associated. This innovative tool makes it easier for children with or without visual impairment to identify objects. These results are published in the British Journal of Visual Impairment.
Children’s books play a vital role in their development. They enable children to discover written and spoken language, as well as the world around them, through images. Books with tactile illustrations are particularly beneficial, but only if they are clearly understood by young readers. What about visually impaired or blind children, whose perception of the world differs from that of sighted people?
