Glossary

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TEACCH(also: Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication-Handicapped Children)

A comprehensive, evidence-based programme for supporting people with autism spectrum disorder across the lifespan, developed at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Rather than a single method, TEACCH is a framework that uses structured teaching — organising the…

Tactile Aid(also: Tactile Learning Aid, Tactile Tool)

A physical object designed to convey information through touch, used to make visual or abstract concepts accessible to people who are blind or have low vision. Tactile aids can include raised-line drawings, textured surfaces, 3D-printed models, and laser-cut representations of…

Tactile Animation(also: Animated Tactile Graphics, Tactile Motion Graphics)

A sequence of tactile images displayed over time on a refreshable tactile display to convey motion, change, or dynamic processes through touch. Unlike static tactile graphics, tactile animations allow blind and low-vision users to perceive movement, temporal progression, and…

Tactile Data Comics(also: TDC)

A presentation method for accessible education that combines step-by-step tactile graphics on a refreshable tactile display with synchronized verbal narration. Inspired by visual data comics, tactile data comics decompose complex images into sequential frames that progressively…

Tactile Diagram(also: Raised Diagram, Embossed Diagram)

A diagram rendered in a tactile format that can be explored through touch, typically using raised lines, textures, and Braille labels on special paper or thermoform plastic. Tactile diagrams are essential for teaching STEM concepts to students with vision impairments,…

Tactile Graphicacy(also: Tactile Literacy, Tactile Reading Skills)

The learned ability to read, interpret, and create meaning from tactile images, maps, diagrams, and graphics through touch. Just as visual graphicacy is developed through exposure to visual images, tactile graphicacy requires practice with a wide range of tactile materials and…

Tactile Image(also: Tactile Graphic, Tactile Picture, Touch Image)

A tactile image is a raised or textured representation of a visual image designed to be perceived through touch rather than sight. Tactile images can be produced through various methods including embossing, swell paper (microcapsule paper), Braille printers, thermoforming, and…

Tactile Learning(also: Haptic Learning, Touch-Based Learning)

An educational approach that uses the sense of touch to convey information, explore concepts, and develop understanding. For blind and low vision learners, tactile learning encompasses reading Braille, exploring raised-line diagrams, manipulating physical models, and using…

Tactile Learning Material(also: Tactile Teaching Aid, Hands-On Learning Material)

Physical educational materials designed to be explored through touch, enabling students with vision impairments to understand concepts that are typically presented visually. Tactile learning materials include raised-line diagrams, 3D models, textured maps, manipulable math…

Tactile Literacy(also: Tactile Reading Skills)

The ability to interpret, understand, and create information conveyed through the sense of touch, including the skills needed to read tactile graphics, maps, diagrams, braille, and other raised representations. Like visual literacy, tactile literacy must be developed…

Tactile Modeling(also: Tactile Demonstration, Touch Demonstration)

A body movement teaching technique where a blind or low vision student explores and inspects a demonstrator's body position through touch, allowing them to understand poses, movements, and form that would typically be learned through visual observation. Unlike physical guidance…

Tactile Modelling(also: Tactile Demonstration, Touch-Based Instruction)

A teaching technique used in movement and dance education for blind and low-vision learners, where the student physically explores the teacher's body position by touch to understand the shape, form, and spatial relationships of a pose or movement. While effective for…

Tactile graphic production(also: Tactile image creation, Accessible graphic transcription)

The process of converting visual images — such as textbook diagrams, charts, maps, and illustrations — into raised tactile representations that can be explored by touch. Production methods include swell paper (microcapsule paper heated to raise printed lines), embossing,…

Tactile graphics(also: Raised-line graphics, Touch graphics)

Physical representations of visual information using raised surfaces, textures, and patterns that can be explored through touch. Tactile graphics are essential for conveying spatial and graphical information — maps, charts, diagrams, mathematical graphs — to blind and visually…

Tactile learning(also: Haptic learning, Touch-based learning)

An educational approach that uses the sense of touch as a primary channel for acquiring knowledge, developing skills, and understanding concepts. For BLV students, tactile learning is essential — braille reading, tactile diagrams, physical manipulatives, and hands-on crafts like…

Tangible Programming(also: Physical Programming, Tangible Coding, Tactile Programming)

A programming approach that uses physical objects — such as blocks, cards, or robots — that users can manipulate with their hands to create programs, rather than typing code or dragging on-screen elements. Tangible programming is particularly valuable for students with visual…

Taylor Frame(also: Taylor Mathematical Slate, Taylor Slate, Math Frame)

A tactile tool used by visually impaired students to perform arithmetic calculations. The device consists of a rectangular board with rows of holes into which small lead or plastic bars are inserted. Each bar has notched ends representing digits 0-9, which users identify by…

Teach Access

A collaborative initiative bringing together technology companies, academic institutions, and advocacy organizations to advance accessibility education. Teach Access provides resources, curriculum materials, and community connections to help educators integrate accessibility…

Teacher of Blind Students(also: TBS, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, TVI)

A specially licensed educator trained to teach students who are blind or have low vision. TBSs provide instruction in the expanded core curriculum, which includes Braille literacy, orientation and mobility concepts, assistive technology skills, and self-advocacy. Research…

Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments(also: TVI, Vision Teacher, Teacher of the Visually Impaired)

A specialized educator certified to teach students who are blind or have low vision, providing instruction in the expanded core curriculum including braille literacy, orientation and mobility concepts, assistive technology use, and daily living skills. TVIs work in school…

Teacher of the Visually Impaired(also: TVI, Vision Teacher, Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments)

A specialized educator trained to work with students who are blind or have low vision, providing instruction in skills such as Braille, use of assistive technology, orientation and mobility, and adapting educational materials for visual accessibility. In music education, TVIs…

Teacher with Vision Impairment(also: TVI, Visually Impaired Teacher, Blind Teacher)

An educator who is blind or has low vision and teaches in educational settings, often in schools for the blind where they share the lived experience of their students. TVIs are particularly prominent in the Global South, where residential schools for the blind employ significant…

Tech support for older adults(also: Senior tech support, Elder tech assistance)

The provision of guidance, troubleshooting, and learning resources to help older adults use digital technologies effectively. Research identifies two key dimensions: self-reliant support (online tutorials, video guides, built-in help features, trial-and-error) and social support…

Technology Empowerment(also: User Empowerment, Disability Technology Empowerment)

An approach to accessibility that goes beyond user-centered design to actively train and support people with disabilities to become technology creators, developers, and researchers rather than solely consumers of assistive technology. Coined by Richard Ladner, technology…

Technology Readiness(also: Tech Readiness, Digital Readiness)

The degree to which an individual, organization, or system is prepared to effectively adopt and use new technologies, encompassing infrastructure availability, digital literacy, institutional support, and attitudinal acceptance. Research with TVIs in India reveals that…

Telepresence robot(also: Telepresence, Remote presence robot)

A mobile robotic device that enables a remote user to have a physical presence in a distant location, typically featuring a screen displaying the user's face, a camera, microphone, speaker, and wheels for navigation. In educational and workplace accessibility contexts,…

Thermoform(also: Vacuum-Formed Plastic, Thermoform Duplicator)

A method of producing tactile images and braille copies by heating a thin sheet of plastic and vacuum-forming it over a master copy (typically an embossed original) to create a durable raised-line reproduction. Thermoform machines heat plastic sheets and use vacuum pressure to…

Transition Period(also: School-to-Adult Transition, Transition Services)

In disability services, the transition period refers to the years during which a young person with a disability moves from school-based supports into adult life. In the United States, school systems are legally required to provide full-time services to students with disabilities…

Typhlology(also: Typhlopedagogy)

The study and science of blindness and visual impairment, encompassing education, rehabilitation, and support methods for people who are blind or have low vision. Typhlology draws on knowledge from education, psychology, medicine, and assistive technology to develop teaching…

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