3D printed books help blind children visualize the story (pictures)

Tactile Picture Books, a project of University of Colorado, is using the 3D printing technology to create wonderful children’s books.

These books have 3D printed elements placed on pages. They are accompanied by the text in Braille, so that blind children, or children with visual impairments, can better imagine the story.

The books can be also read together with a helper, “who can ask them questions about what they think the 3D illustrations represent”.

So far, three books have been prepared:

• Goodnight Moon,
• Harold and the Purple Crayon,
• Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear.

The second Goodnight Moon book is under development.

The 3D printable elements can be downloaded from MakerBot’s Thingiverse (for instance, here you can get Goodnight Moon).

The biggest benefit of the 3D printed stories from Tactile Picture Books is that they can be read by both blind and non-blind children alike, enabling both to enjoy joint reading sessions.

Via Springwise.