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While architects think and work in a visual way, people who are visually impaired may pay more attention to other senses and are able to appreciate other spatial qualities. In my thesis project, I have explored architecture for the visually impaired. The idea is rooted in a frustration of that architecture is almost always valued visually. All other senses are mostly ignored - or at least never prioritised. What is architecture based on other senses than sight? If architecture is experienced by all senses - mustn’t architects involve all senses in their design process? In this project, the aim has been to create architecture that improves the visitors’ spatial perception by activating all senses as an experience and a source of information.

The thesis is focussed on social work with visually impaired clients. The theoretical part deals with eyesight, anatomy, physiology of the eye and various visual defects; further, on personality of handicapped individuals, quality of their lives, provided social assistance, methods of typhlo- rehabilitation and appropriate utensils. The application section searches by means of qualitative research, namely semi-structured interview and observation, complex functioning of an asylum for the handicapped - Home for Visually Impaired Clients PALATA, Prague. The dissertation presents, according to the findings, personalities of the interviewed, their subjective difficulties, the way they cope with the obstacles, their level of contentment, and considers bounds of assistance possibilities from the social background. The objective of the thesis is to describe options of social work with visually impaired clients. To present their personalities and difficulties they deal with due to their handicap. And as well as to show how they cope with them and how their social environment can help with the acceptance of their impairment. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

This thesis addresses a challenging problem: “how to let the visually impaired ‘see’ others emotions”. We, human beings, are heavily dependent on facial expressions to express ourselves. A smile shows that the person you are talking to is pleased, amused, relieved etc. People use emotional information from facial expressions to switch between conversation topics and to determine attitudes of individuals. Missing emotional information from facial expressions and head gestures makes the visually impaired extremely difficult to interact with others in social events. To enhance the visually impaired’s social interactive ability, in this thesis we have been working on the scientific topic of ‘expressing human emotions through vibrotactile patterns’. It is quite challenging to deliver human emotions through touch since our touch channel is very limited. We first investigated how to render emotions through a vibrator. We developed a real time “lipless” tracking system to extract dynamic emotions from the mouth and employed mobile phones as a platform for the visually impaired to perceive primary emotion types. Later on, we extended the system to render more general dynamic media signals: for example, render live football games through vibration in the mobile for improving mobile user communication and entertainment experience. To display more natural emotions (i.e. emotion type plus emotion intensity), we developed the technology to enable the visually impaired to directly interpret human emotions. This was achieved by use of machine vision techniques and vibrotactile display. The display is comprised of a ‘vibration actuators matrix’ mounted on the back of a chair and the actuators are sequentially activated to provide dynamic emotional information. The research focus has been on finding a global, analytical, and semantic representation for facial expressions to replace state of the art facial action coding systems (FACS) approach. We proposed to use the manifold of facial expressions to characterize dynamic emotions. The basic emotional expressions with increasing intensity become curves on the manifold extended from the center. The blends of emotions lie between those curves, which could be defined analytically by the positions of the main curves. The manifold is the “Braille Code” of emotions. The developed methodology and technology has been extended for building assistive wheelchair systems to aid a specific group of disabled people, cerebral palsy or stroke patients (i.e. lacking fine motor control skills), who don’t have ability to access and control the wheelchair with conventional means, such as joystick or chin stick. The solution is to extract the manifold of the head or the tongue gestures for controlling the wheelchair. The manifold is rendered by a 2D vibration array to provide user of the wheelchair with action information from gestures and system status information, which is very important in enhancing usability of such an assistive system. Current research work not only provides a foundation stone for vibrotactile rendering system based on object localization but also a concrete step to a new dimension of human-machine interaction. / Taktil Video

The study examined the opportunities to learn Mathematics that are accorded to secondary school students with visual impairment in Zimbabwe. The study focused on form one and form two students who are completely without sight, but are learning in inclusive settings, together with their Mathematics teachers. The study examined how teachers interacted with the subject matter, how the teachers interacted with the visually impaired students and how these students interacted with partially sighted students in the teaching and learning process. The study adopted the case study approach under the qualitative inquiry. Data was collected using document analysis, lesson observations, personal interviews with teachers and focus group interviews with students who were purposive sampled. The study established that visually impaired students were not accorded adequate opportunities to learn mathematics at secondary level. The reasons for this deficit are (1) visually impaired students learnt the same curriculum as sighted students when they could not access some topics on the syllabus, (2) the teachers were professionally qualified but they lacked the necessary specialist training for teaching students without sight, (3) teachers used the same teaching methods as those used with sighted students, (4) a lot of time was spent on task though not much ground was covered, (5) the schools were not adequately resourced with appropriate teaching and learning materials for use by visually impaired students, culminating in lost opportunities to learn mathematics. The study recommends that appropriately qualified teachers be deployed to teach at schools for the visually impaired, that all secondary teachers learn the basic modules in Special Needs Education during training. The study also recommends for the government to assist the schools for the visually impaired students to import the much needed teaching and learning equipment. The study has provided some knowledge about the learning of mathematics by visually impaired students in Zimbabwe in the areas of lesson delivery, materials provision, and programme adjustments at secondary teacher training colleges and universities. It has also provided curriculum planners with an insight on the prevailing situation with regard to the teaching and learning of mathematics by visually impaired students. This knowledge could be used when formulating future mathematics curriculum and training policies to do with non-sighted students in Zimbabwe and other countries in Africa. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-08T16:19:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 bibliotecaDISS.pdf: 37142 bytes, checksum: 083aa1c735cca8e75432a7af14e6f682 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-10-10 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The purpose of this study is to analyze a research experience involving a group of visually impaired people in an inclusion process through contemporary art, with emphasis on these students learning process. In order to achieve this purpose, data from the Oficina de Arte: reflexões contemporâneas ( Art Workshop: contemporary reflections ) were collected and analyzed. a total of eight people participated in the ten meetings of this three-month workshop. This analysis is the result of reflections that came up during the period as an undergraduate student in a university extension project with a visually impaired group of people. This project entailed some mediation in an art museum, where it was possible to verify the non-presence of this audience in such places. To carry this study, a participative research of qualitative nature was applied. Therefore, data collected from the subjects researched; an investigation of contemporary art and its materials, poetics, contexts and works accessible to the visually impaired, and a pedagogical approach were all taken into consideration. The basic tools and materials used in contemporary art were adapted and analyzed as knowledge mediators in the workshop. For the investigation of the accessibility and inclusion of this audience, the participation of sighted people was requested in the same workshop. Thus, it was possible to establish relationships in the investigation with what concerns the learning process through contemporary art. This data analysis verified the following aspects: visually impaired people are able to appreciate contemporary art through multisensory learning and artwork that requires little or no adaptation; the inclusion may take place in art classes in formal and non-formal learning, with approaches that engage both visually impaired and sighted people / O objeto deste estudo é a análise de uma experiência de pesquisa com público com deficiência visual e sua inclusão por meio da arte contemporânea, com foco nas aprendizagens realizadas pelos estudantes. Foram, para tanto, coletados e analisados dados a partir da Oficina de Arte: reflexões contemporâneas , que contou com a participação de oito pessoas, em dez encontros, em um período de três meses. O presente estudo originou-se de inquietações surgidas no período de estudante de licenciatura e no trabalho em extensão universitária em um projeto com público deficiente visual, no qual ocorreram mediações em um museu de arte, possibilitando constatar a não frequência deste público nestes espaços. Para o desenvolvimento do estudo adotou-se a pesquisa participante, de natureza qualitativa. Assim sendo, organizaram-se os dados a partir do contexto dos pesquisados; investigou-se a arte contemporânea, seus materiais, poéticas, contextos e propostas que fossem acessíveis ao público com deficiência visual; teve-se como foco uma abordagem pedagógica em Arte. Os objetos do cotidiano presente na arte contemporânea foram adaptados e analisados, como mediadores de conhecimentos na oficina. Para que a acessibilidade e inclusão deste público fossem investigadas, na oficina de coleta de dados, optou-se pela participação de pessoas videntes, também. O que permitiu, estabelecer relações, no que diz respeito as aprendizagens por meio da arte contemporânea. Na análise de dados constatou-se, entre outros resultados, que os deficientes visuais podem conhecer a arte contemporânea por meio de aprendizagens multissensoriais e obras que necessitem de pouca ou nenhuma adaptação; que a inclusão pode acontecer nas aulas de Arte no ensino formal e não formal, utilizando-se abordagens que envolvam tanto os deficientes visuais quanto os videntes

Det finns begränsad tillgång till pussel för personer med synfel (inklusive blinda personer). För att undersöka behovet av potentiella användare i 3D kartpussel och identifiera deras preferenser, behov och krav, användes en kvalitativ metod som på engelska kallas ”participatory design”. Projektet utfördes i Kreta och alla deltagare kom från ön. Då Icke-standardiserade subjekt användes i forskningsprojektet användes lämpliga tillgängliga metoder och kommunikationsvägar för att anpassa studien för denna grupp. Stor vikt lades ner på bakgrundsstudier, inklusive intervjuer med experter och undersökning av befintligt material inom detta ämne.  För att underlätta förståelsen av konceptet och skapa en gemensam referensram för alla deltagare gjordes funktionella 3D prototyper av  kartpussel föreställande Kreta. Prototyperna gjordes i trä, antingen tall eller MDF. Därefter organiserades fokusgrupper och intervjuer. I fokusgrupperna deltog vuxna och barn med synnedsättning. Aktiviteterna var scenariokreation, utvärdering av användarvänlighet och en enkätundersökning som fylldes in av de som kunde (personer med tillräckligt god syn).  Data som samlades analyserades med hjälp av kvalitativa och kvantitativa metoder. Resultatet av testerna visade potentiella användarvänlighetsproblem för prototyperna, de flesta relaterade till synskadade individers erfarenheter av linkande produkter. Dessutom identifierades deltagarnas preferenser och behov angående temat, storlek, material, typ av samband och andra faktorer av pusslet.  Resultaten visar att osäkerhet eller brist på bekräftelse huruvida pusselbitarna var lagda rätt eller fel var den största svårigheten bland deltagare med synnedsättning. Den mest populära metoden för låsning av pusselbitarna bland de med synnedsättning var ”fit in a frame” och ”magnets”. Majoriteten av deltagarna uppmuntrade att lägga till färger på pusslet och markera olika städer. Sex av åtta deltagare var intresserade av att köpa pussel liknande det som de testat. Av 22 icke synskadade personer svarade nio av dem att det är möjligt att de skulle köpa pusslet och elva svarade att det är väldigt möjligt att de skulle köpa tredimensionella pussel. Mer än hälften såg färger som ett tilläggselement på pusslet. De två mest populära låsningsmetoderna var ”loose contact” och ”fit in a frame”. Angående materialvalet, togs trä emot väl av både synskadade och icke-synskadade testpersoner. Träprototyper  var dock det enda tillgängliga under testet. Deltagare gav flera förslag angående temat, storlek och extra egenskaper för produkten. Det resulterade i att många idéer genererades under ”workshopen”. Utfall, problem och begränsningar relaterade till de använda metoderna diskuterades och rekommendationer för framtida studier gjordes. / There are a limited number of puzzles accessible to visually impaired people (including the blind population) and also limited 3D map-puzzles available in the market. In order to explore the interest of potential users in 3D map-puzzles and identify their preferences, needs and demands, a participatory design approach was adopted. The project took place in Crete and all participants came from the local population. Because of the non-standard population included in this research project (visually impaired people) accessible methods and means of communication had to be selected. Therefore an extensive background research was performed, including interviews with experts and a thorough study of existing knowledge and previous research in related fields.  Aiming to facilitate understanding of the concept and to provide a common point of reference for all participants, functional prototypes of a 3D map-puzzle of the island of Crete were developed and manufactured. Prototypes were made of wood, either Pine or MDF. Subsequently, focus group and interview sessions were organized. Visually impaired and sighted, adults and children, participated in these sessions which included usability testing of the prototypes, scenario creation and a questionnaire (for the sighted participants). Data collected in the conducted sessions were analyzed using qualitative and quantitative methods. The results revealed usability problems of the prototypes and provided signs of potential problems, most of them related to the use of similar products by visually impaired individuals. Additionally, preferences and needs of the participants about the theme, the size, the material, the type of connection and other elements of the puzzle, were identified. According to the findings, the most severe problem, occurring when visually impaired participants tried to assemble the puzzle, was the uncertainty or “lack of confirmation” whether pieces were assembled in the right way or not. The most popular connection types among visually impaired participants were “fit in a frame” and “magnet”. Additionally, the majority of visually impaired participants were in favor of adding colors on the puzzle and marks for the different cities. Regarding buying interest, six out of eight visually impaired participants stated that they would buy a puzzle like the one they tested. Out of the twenty-two sighted participants, nine answered that it is “possible” and eleven answered that it is “highly possible” to buy a 3D map-puzzle. More than half of the sighted participants selected colors as an additional element on the puzzle while the two most popular connection types were “loose contact” and “fit in a frame”. Regarding the material of the puzzle, wood was well accepted by both sighted and visually impaired participants. However, only prototypes made from wood were available to the participants.  Additionally, participants made various suggestions regarding the theme, the size and additional elements of a 3D puzzle. As a result, many ideas were produced during the sessions. Eventually, outcomes, problems and limitations related to the methods used during the study were discussed and recommendations for future work were made.

Det finns begränsad tillgång till pussel för personer med synfel (inklusive blinda personer). För att undersöka behovet av potentiella användare i 3D kartpussel och identifiera deras preferenser, behov och krav, användes en kvalitativ metod som på engelska kallas ”participatory design”. Projektet utfördes i Kreta och alla deltagare kom från ön. Då Icke-standardiserade subjekt användes i forskningsprojektet användes lämpliga tillgängliga metoder och kommunikationsvägar för att anpassa studien för denna grupp. Stor vikt lades ner på bakgrundsstudier, inklusive intervjuer med experter och undersökning av befintligt material inom detta ämne.  För att underlätta förståelsen av konceptet och skapa en gemensam referensram för alla deltagare gjordes funktionella 3D prototyper av  kartpussel föreställande Kreta. Prototyperna gjordes i trä, antingen tall eller MDF. Därefter organiserades fokusgrupper och intervjuer. I fokusgrupperna deltog vuxna och barn med synnedsättning. Aktiviteterna var scenariokreation, utvärdering av användarvänlighet och en enkätundersökning som fylldes in av de som kunde (personer med tillräckligt god syn).  Data som samlades analyserades med hjälp av kvalitativa och kvantitativa metoder. Resultatet av testerna visade potentiella användarvänlighetsproblem för prototyperna, de flesta relaterade till synskadade individers erfarenheter av linkande produkter. Dessutom identifierades deltagarnas preferenser och behov angående temat, storlek, material, typ av samband och andra faktorer av pusslet.  Resultaten visar att osäkerhet eller brist på bekräftelse huruvida pusselbitarna var lagda rätt eller fel var den största svårigheten bland deltagare med synnedsättning. Den mest populära metoden för låsning av pusselbitarna bland de med synnedsättning var ”fit in a frame” och ”magnets”. Majoriteten av deltagarna uppmuntrade att lägga till färger på pusslet och markera olika städer. Sex av åtta deltagare var intresserade av att köpa pussel liknande det som de testat. Av 22 icke synskadade personer svarade nio av dem att det är möjligt att de skulle köpa pusslet och elva svarade att det är väldigt möjligt att de skulle köpa tredimensionella pussel. Mer än hälften såg färger som ett tilläggselement på pusslet. De två mest populära låsningsmetoderna var ”loose contact” och ”fit in a frame”. Angående materialvalet, togs trä emot väl av både synskadade och icke-synskadade testpersoner. Träprototyper  var dock det enda tillgängliga under testet. Deltagare gav flera förslag angående temat, storlek och extra egenskaper för produkten. Det resulterade i att många idéer genererades under ”workshopen”. Utfall, problem och begränsningar relaterade till de använda metoderna diskuterades och rekommendationer för framtida studier gjordes. / There are a limited number of puzzles accessible to visually impaired people (including the blind population) and also limited 3D map-puzzles available in the market. In order to explore the interest of potential users in 3D map-puzzles and identify their preferences, needs and demands, a participatory design approach was adopted. The project took place in Crete and all participants came from the local population. Because of the non-standard population included in this research project (visually impaired people) accessible methods and means of communication had to be selected. Therefore an extensive background research was performed, including interviews with experts and a thorough study of existing knowledge and previous research in related fields.  Aiming to facilitate understanding of the concept and to provide a common point of reference for all participants, functional prototypes of a 3D map-puzzle of the island of Crete were developed and manufactured. Prototypes were made of wood, either Pine or MDF. Subsequently, focus group and interview sessions were organized. Visually impaired and sighted, adults and children, participated in these sessions which included usability testing of the prototypes, scenario creation and a questionnaire (for the sighted participants). Data collected in the conducted sessions were analyzed using qualitative and quantitative methods. The results revealed usability problems of the prototypes and provided signs of potential problems, most of them related to the use of similar products by visually impaired individuals. Additionally, preferences and needs of the participants about the theme, the size, the material, the type of connection and other elements of the puzzle, were identified. According to the findings, the most severe problem, occurring when visually impaired participants tried to assemble the puzzle, was the uncertainty or “lack of confirmation” whether pieces were assembled in the right way or not. The most popular connection types among visually impaired participants were “fit in a frame” and “magnet”. Additionally, the majority of visually impaired participants were in favor of adding colors on the puzzle and marks for the different cities. Regarding buying interest, six out of eight visually impaired participants stated that they would buy a puzzle like the one they tested. Out of the twenty-two sighted participants, nine answered that it is “possible” and eleven answered that it is “highly possible” to buy a 3D map-puzzle. More than half of the sighted participants selected colors as an additional element on the puzzle while the two most popular connection types were “loose contact” and “fit in a frame”. Regarding the material of the puzzle, wood was well accepted by both sighted and visually impaired participants. However, only prototypes made from wood were available to the participants.  Additionally, participants made various suggestions regarding the theme, the size and additional elements of a 3D puzzle. As a result, many ideas were produced during the sessions. Eventually, outcomes, problems and limitations related to the methods used during the study were discussed and recommendations for future work were made.

No description available.