NCBI takes part in EU project to open up education and training to all
Release Date: Nov 24th, 2006
NCBI is taking part in a European project which focuses on making learning materials that are visual by nature accessible to people with sight loss. The project is entitled Audio Haptics for Visually Impaired Information Technology (AHVIIT) and is part of the Leonardo programme, the European Community's vocational training programme.
The AHVIIT project will design, produce and test pilot learning materials in the form of talking tactiles, as well as creating an online training programme for teachers in an effort to encourage acceptance of e-learning as part of training systems across the EU.
Around nine million people in the EU experience sight loss at some stage of their life and could benefit by assistance from this project, in education, in vocational training, or for recreational purposes. There are also wider benefits to opening up education and training to all, including a reduction in the number of unemployed people who need to access incapacity benefits, state or charitable support and allowing them full inclusion in the workforce as well as career enhancement.
Most e-learning training courses require access to diagrams and graphics, which may present problems for people with sight loss. Braille will only cope with alpha/numeric formats and screen readers offer only limited descriptions of on-screen images that cannot be seen or experienced in any suitable format.
Talking tactiles will supplement existing e-learning content by bringing diagrams, maps or graphs to life. As the user touches any part of the tactile overlay, associated sound files will deliver lesson content material.
NCBI hopes that this innovative methodology will improve accessibility to visual graphics for people with sight loss. The project was launched in October 2006 and will run for two years.