Defining Problems of Practices to Advance Inclusive Tactile Media Consumption and Production
Abigale Stangl, Ann Cunningham, Lou Ann Blake, Tom Yeh · 2019 · Proceedings of the 21st International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2019) · doi:10.1145/3308561.3353778
Summary
This paper presents findings from three Tactile Art and Graphics Symposia (TAGS) that gathered 64 participants — 49% of whom were blind or had low vision — including artists, museum curators, tactile media designers, access technologists, teachers of the visually impaired (TVIs), rehabilitation educators, and researchers. The symposia were designed as social learning events where practitioners and scholars invested in making information accessible through touch could discuss practices, compare experiences, and envision solutions. Through grounded theory analysis of approximately 24 hours of recorded discussions and field notes, the researchers identified 34 specific issues falling under four overarching Problems of Practice (POPs) that impact tactile media consumption and production. The paper draws an important distinction between tactile graphics (representations of data and information through raised lines, points, and textures for accessing maps, charts, and diagrams), tactile art (pictures, illustrations, sculptures, and multimodal compositions accessible through touch, crafted for experiential rather than informational purposes), and accessible art (art made accessible through non-visual means such as sound and labels). The research emerged from a Research Practice Partnership between a university accessibility researcher, the Colorado Center for the Blind, and the National Federation of the Blind.
Key findings
The four Problems of Practice identified were: (1) Conspicuousness Impacting Belonging — BLV people frequently experience being made conspicuous when engaging with tactile media in public settings like museums and art galleries, reducing their sense of belonging. A blind access technology specialist noted that becoming "the focus of other people’s attention" as a blind patron distracts from the experience itself. (2) Stigma of Touch — BLV participants described pervasive experiences of being prohibited from touching their environments, attributing this to a societal stigma where touch is "a very maligned sense" and vision is privileged as the "noblest of the senses." Museum docents telling blind visitors "you cannot touch that" was a recurring experience. A director of an independence training centre stated, "Most people are taught not to touch. It is critical that that changes." (3) Inadequate Educational Programming and Supply/Dissemination of Tactile Media — BLV participants rarely receive educational opportunities supporting tactile consumption and production. TVIs reported having no training on how to support BLV students in creating art, and there is no foundational tactile graphicacy curriculum. Participants emphasised that spatial literacy and tactile skills must be built progressively from childhood, just as sighted children develop visual literacy. (4) Instability of Tactile Media Design Resources — there is significant disagreement about whether tactile graphic design standards should be universally codified, with some arguing standards ensure quality while others fear they dampen creativity. No consistent protocol exists for evaluating how design decisions impact learnability.
Relevance
This paper reframes tactile media access as a complex socio-cultural issue rather than a purely technical one, challenging the HCI community’s tendency to focus on production technologies (3D printers, pin displays, embossers) without addressing the broader ecosystem of consumption, education, and social context. The identification of stigma around touch as a barrier to tactile media engagement is particularly significant — it suggests that improving access requires not just better technology but cultural change in how museums, schools, and public spaces treat tactile exploration. For accessibility practitioners, the 34 specific issues catalogued across art consumption, art production, graphics consumption, and graphics production provide a comprehensive checklist of challenges to address. The recommendation that BLV people should be positioned not just as consumers but as creators, designers, and leaders in tactile media production connects to broader disability justice principles of self-determination and agency. The paper also usefully distinguishes between access (whether services exist) and accessibility (the degree to which content is actually understood through touch) — a distinction often conflated in accessibility work.
Tags: tactile graphics · tactile art · blind · low vision · accessible art · museum accessibility · tactile literacy · social learning · inclusive design · STEM accessibility · stigma