Tactile stickers: new themes
The response to the the first set of children’s tactile stickers with braille has been so positive and encouraging that I have recently designed three new themes: rewards, sports and emotions. The stickers are both educational and fun to use in schools, clubs or at home as motivational rewards for an achievement or simply to mark or decorate something.
Inclusive tactile design for children’s stickers
From an early age, sighted children are surrounded by visual input which helps them understand the world. The new themes have been designed with the same belief that braille should be just as ‘normal’ and important as printed text. One of the ways to achieve this is to make inclusive designs. These unique stickers unite braille, large type and tactile pictures. Children with a visual disability, along with their sighted friends, can become familiar with the concept of conveying a message through words and pictures.
Stylized pictures: stimulate fantasy
In order to keep the designs as compact as possible I have stylized the pictures. As such they do not aim to explain what something looks like (in the way that a tactile diagram would) but rather depict the essence of something, making tangible associations. Through guidance from an adult or interaction amongst children the stickers will hopefully encourage tactile exploration, help develop literacy skills and stimulate children’s fantasy.
Tactile stickers for curious fingers
Click for a bigger picture-
‘Happy’ in grote letters en braille, samen met een tekening in reliëf van een ballon met een smiley. -
Beloon een kind met een van deze motiverende stickers. -
‘Sweet’ in grote letters en braille; in reliëf gemaakte aardbei. -
Het leuke sportthema kan de interesse in lichaamsbeweging en sport helpen stimuleren. -
Zodra de stickers van het rugvel zijn verwijderd, blijft het reliëf achter. -
Voor kinderen uitdagende texturen om te voelen, kleurrijke tactiele tekeningen om de fantasie te stimuleren. -
Het is leuk voor kinderen die braille leren, om de stickers te lezen. -
‘Soft’ in grote letters en braille; gestileerd ijsje in een voelbaar bakje. -
De reliëfdruk gaat door op het achterblad. De randen van de stickers zijn verhoogd om zo de navigatie te vergemakkelijken. -
‘Super’ in grote letters en braille samen met een lintje in reliëf. -
‘Great’ in grote letters en braille, samen met een voelbare duim omhoog. -
Alle kinderen kunnen samen plezier beleven aan deze voelbare stickers – voelen en erover praten. -
‘High 5’ in grote letters en braille samen met een hand in reliëf. -
Kinderen kunnen hun zintuigen prikkelen met interessante texturen en associaties. -
‘Hop’ in grote letters en braille; gestileerde tekening van een kangoeroe in reliëf.
Rewards theme
These can be used as a confidence booster or to reward good schoolwork or any achievement:
- super (ribbon with a star), star (star with smiley),
- bravo (medal on ribbon), high 5 (hand),
- proud (trophy with star), hooray (flag with star),
- superb (crown), great (hand with thumbs up),
- smart (owl), goal (target board with arrow in centre),
- well done (flower), good job (smiley)
Sports theme
To motivate and encourage children to enjoy physical activity and sports:
- twist (snake), hop (kangaroo),
- flip (seal), skip (bunny),
- run (jaguar), jump (frog),
- ready (toad), climb (monkey),
- steady (tortoise), gallop (horse),
- go (hare), dance (bee)
Emotions theme
These appeal to the emotions and challenge tactile sensitivity:
- soft (ice cream cone), hug (octopus),
- lucky (shamrock), trail (snail),
- happy (balloon with smiley), wise (owl),
- spiky (hedgehog), snappy (crab),
- fluffy (chick), tickle (feather),
- hot (hot dog), sweet (strawberry)
Language theme
The first set of tactile stickers in which words are enhanced with interesting tactile-visual associations:
- busy (bee), fly (butterfly),
- cool (snowflake), jump (frog),
- sunny (sunflower), tweet (bird),
- shine (star), bright (sun),
- dotty (ladybird with six dots), home (snail shell),
- grow (plant), free (dolphin)
How to order
The rewards theme has recently been launched by the Royal National Institute for the Blind in the UK and can be purchased via the RNIB webshop. For general inquiries, feedback or to purchase the other themes please contact me at ann@brailledots.nl.
Braille Dots tactile reward stickers
Braille Dots tactile sports stickers
There are four theme packs, each containing 12 different designs, printed and embossed on two A5 sheets (148 mm x 210 mm). The diameter of the stickers is 52 mm and the braille is Grade 1 UEB, without any capitals or punctuation.
Thank you!
I’d like to thank all the parents and teachers who have already purchased the stickers. In doing so you are helping to support my work which focusses on the development of design projects for children and adults with a visual disability. This is some of the positive feedback which I’ve been receiving:
I teach blind and visually impaired children. Many still have some sight and all share classrooms with sighted peers. These stickers will be such fun.
What a fantastic product! The children I work with, work so hard it would be lovely to reward them with stickers with meaning!
▲ To the topI just wanted to tell you that the stickers are awesome!!! My son’s TVI also thought they were amazing! Thank you so much!