Essential Best Practices for Creating Tactile Graphics
Essential Best Practices for Creating Tactile Graphics
This guide provides a high-level overview of key principles for designing effective tactile graphics. It covers fundamental best practices to ensure clarity, accessibility and usability for individuals with visual impairments. Please note that these are not detailed specific standards for raised tactile graphics.
Creating Effective Tactile Graphics According to Specific Standards:
If your goal is to create tactile graphics that meet professional or educational standards—especially for standardized testing or official publications—it is important to refer to the in-depth guidelines published by the most recognized authorities in this field:
Notable Tactile Graphics Standards and Resources:
-
Braille Authority of North America (BANA)
BANA Guidelines and Standards for Tactile Graphics
A comprehensive, widely adopted standard for producing tactile graphics in the United States. -
APH (American Printing House for the Blind)
APH Tactile Graphics Image Library
APH also provides training resources and reference materials on tactile graphic production. -
UK Association for Accessible Formats (UKAAF)
UKAAF Guidelines
Standards for accessible formats including tactile diagrams in the UK. -
Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB)
CNIB Clear Print and Tactile Graphics Resources
While CNIB does not publish a single standard, they offer best practices and work with educational authorities. -
ICEB (International Council on English Braille)
ICEB Resources
Promotes the development and standardization of braille-related materials globally.
While these organizations provide essential guidance for producing exacting and standardized tactile graphics, the following tips and best practices below are intended to be a practical guide to help you refine your own tactile graphics for personal or community use. These suggestions are simply that – a simple guide to support the creation of meaningful, useful and accessible materials that enhance the learning experience for others.
By sharing your creations with the Tactile Library community, you are helping to build a growing collection of free, user-generated tactile graphics that benefit educators, students and makers alike.
Basic Tactile Graphics Guidelines
Below are a non-standard set of recommendations to help ensure your tactile graphics are effective and accessible for individuals with vision impairments.
Key Principles of Tactile Graphic Design
- Simplify the design – remove unnecessary details and decorative elements that do not contribute to the meaning of the graphic. Keep only the most essential shapes, lines and symbols.
- Use high contrast line weights – bold, thick lines are easier to detect by touch than thin lines. Ensure important elements stand out clearly.
- Avoid overlapping elements – crowded graphics are difficult to interpret. Separate key components and provide space between objects for better readability.
- Limit the use of text – if labels are necessary, keep them minimal and consider using braille, or a separate key to explain the graphic’s content. Note that braille may not confirm to BANA, or similar, standards.
- Ensure proper scaling – elements should be proportioned for tactile recognition. Overly small or large features can be difficult to distinguish by touch.
- Use distinct textures and patterns – different textures or patterns can represent various objects or surfaces, making it easier to differentiate between them.
- Consistent orientation – maintain logical positioning of elements to match conventional understanding (e.g., North is facing up on maps).
- Test for tactile readability – before finalizing, test the design by running your fingers over a printed version. Better yet, have a blind or visually impaired user provide feedback.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Including too much visual detail – a graphic that is visually complex will not translate well to a tactile format.
- Relying on color differences – tactile users cannot differentiate colors, so use textures or patterns instead. Keep the use of textures and shading limited.
- Using too many different symbols – keep symbols simple and standardized for easier recognition.
- Forgetting to include a title or key – a brief title or key helps users understand what the graphic represents.
By following these guidelines and adding to the free tactile graphics library, you help create graphics that are truly usable and beneficial for those who rely on touch to learn and explore. Thank you!