Tactile graphics in school education: perspectives from pupils

Graphic literacy is increasingly expected of all school leavers. This is particularly demanding on blind and visually impaired pupils who access graphically-displayed information by touch. Through focus group discussions with forty primary and secondary pupils in special schools, we sought to learn about their perspectives on the design and use of tactile graphics. The findings emphasise the challenges involved, not only for the users themselves, but also for their teachers and for specialist designers of tactile graphics.