Search Results (65)

Psychological sweating in the palms occurs in response to mental activity. This sweating response (SR) may be observed during concentrated finger perception and may be associated with tactile sensitivity in older adults. This research was conducted as a cross-sectional observational study. We investigated the SR of the finger pad during a discrimination task (Braille reading) in 84 healthy older women. Furthermore, we evaluated the tactile threshold (TT) of the fingertip and examined its relationship with the characteristics of the SR—specifically, the maximum change in SR (SR_MAX) and the latency to the maximum SR (SR_LAT)—using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Notably, SR increased during Braille reading. Significant correlations were observed between TT and SR_MAX (r_s = −0.36, p < 0.01) and between TT and age (r_s = 0.33, p < 0.01) but not between TT and SR_LAT (r_s = 0.18, p = 0.11). These results posit that tactile sensitivity declines with age in older women and maximum SR during a finger sensory discrimination task may be associated with finger sensory function in this population. Full article

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and related public-health measures, including physical distancing and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), disrupted routine healthcare communication and care delivery for older adults with combined hearing and vision loss, or dual sensory loss (DSL). Around 1.1 million older Canadians are living with DSL and rely on multimodal communication to support assessment and continuity of care. Objectives: This study explored healthcare professionals’ (HCPs) perspectives on older adults with DSL accessing health services and information, and providers’ challenges delivering care during and after COVID-19. Methods: Following a nationwide online survey with 228 HCPs in Canada, in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 24 survey respondents to obtain their insights. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: HCPs reported that the pandemic introduced novel challenges due to the lack of training and technical resources to facilitate healthcare communication with their patients with DSL. HCPs faced difficulty in clinical assessments and diagnosis due to restrictions while using PPE, such as masks. Participants reported strategies such as alternative formats, use of gestures or pictures, assistive devices, and caregiver support and accompaniment that helped provide services to older adults with DSL. Conclusions: Study findings suggest that older adults with DSL were underserved during the pandemic and underscore the need for continuing education/training on DSL for HCPs in order to provide better care to this group. Full article

We present ESNformer, a hybrid architecture that couples an Echo State Network (ESN) reservoir with a Transformer encoder for classification of structured, multi-indicator assessment data: a fixed-order vector of complementary indicators per assessment instance rather than a repeated-measures time series. The reservoir acts as a fixed nonlinear feature map over the indicator vector, while self-attention, made position-aware over the fixed column order, learns how each indicator’s evidence contributes to the final decision, so the two components, together, capture local, indicator-level detail and global, cross-indicator interactions within a single, end-to-end trainable model. Interpretability is treated as a first-class design requirement rather than an afterthought: the architecture is paired with an explainability layer combining SHAP feature attribution (reported both globally and per class), the model’s own attention weights, a deletion/insertion faithfulness test that quantitatively verifies which inputs the model actually relies on, and counterfactual maps that translate a prediction into an actionable, inspectable recommendation. We evaluate the architecture on a concrete case study, classifying Braille-literacy instructional recommendations from 15 pedagogical indicators grouped into three categories (Mangold’s, ABKL, and Progresar), using a benchmark of 900 real assessment instances (630 used, together with a class-conditional augmentation procedure, to build a 2100-instance training set) with validation and test partitions (135 instances each) kept exclusively real. On this benchmark, the tuned model reached 85.33% accuracy, 85.90% macro-precision, 85.33% macro-recall, an F1 score of 85.25%, and an AUC of 0.95 on the real test set. SHAP attribution, attention weights, and the faithfulness test converge on the same two dominant indicators (response time and error count): removing them alone collapses accuracy to chance, while retaining only them recovers most of the model’s accuracy. We report this transparently alongside a comparison against ESN-only, Transformer-only, and tabular baselines (logistic regression, decision tree, random forest, XGBoost, and an MLP) on the same data and discuss what the hybrid architecture and its explainability pipeline add beyond what the two dominant indicators already explain and how the approach generalizes to other tabular and mixed-granularity assessment settings that require both predictive accuracy and a verifiable account of what drove each decision. Full article

Although lexical inferencing, defined as morpheme-based inference of unfamiliar compound word meanings, is a key contributor to reading development in sighted children, its contribution to Braille reading comprehension among students with blindness remains underexplored, representing an important gap in research on Braille reading development. This study had two aims. First, it aimed to characterize lexical inferencing in Chinese primary school students with blindness by comparing their performance with that of sighted peers. Second, it aimed to examine the associations of lexical inferencing and compounding awareness with vocabulary knowledge and Braille reading comprehension among students with blindness, and to determine whether these associations differed between middle- and upper-grade students. The study included valid data from 101 students with blindness in Grades 3–6 and 142 sighted students in Grades 2–6. Students with blindness completed measures of compounding awareness, lexical inferencing, vocabulary knowledge, and Braille reading comprehension, whereas sighted students completed only the lexical inferencing task. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted on a sample of students with blindness to examine the relationships among the four skills. Results showed that (1) students with blindness performed lower than sighted peers on lexical inferencing despite grade-related improvement; (2) lexical inferencing significantly predicted both vocabulary knowledge and Braille reading comprehension in middle- and upper-grade students, whereas compounding awareness significantly predicted lexical inferencing; (3) the relative roles of compounding awareness and lexical inferencing differed by grade group. In middle-grade students, both compounding awareness and lexical inferencing contributed to vocabulary knowledge and Braille reading comprehension, with vocabulary knowledge also predicting reading comprehension. In upper-grade students, lexical inferencing remained a significant predictor of both vocabulary knowledge and Braille reading comprehension, whereas compounding awareness no longer directly predicted either outcome. These findings indicate a developmental shift in which compounding awareness is more influential in earlier stages, whereas lexical inferencing plays a more important role in vocabulary and text-level comprehension in later stages. Full article

This study develops a digital tactile graphic learning framework based on Korean cultural heritage images to support potential concept learning of students with visual impairments and examines its educational appropriateness through expert validation. The lack of standardized tactile graphic guidelines in visual-centric educational environments imposes considerable burden on teachers, who must restructure content individually. Using a design-based research (DBR) methodology grounded in the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework, this study constructed a dataset of 200 cultural heritage images from elementary textbooks across four categories—architecture, artifacts, cultural symbols, and traditional objects—and restructured them through illustration simplification, initial tactile graphic conversion (informed by braille production principles), and two expert revision cycles. Ninety educationally applicable items were finalized for second-stage validation, and five tactile graphic design guidelines were derived. A panel of 15 experts evaluated the materials using a 5-point Likert scale and Content Validity Index (CVI) analysis. The overall mean was M = 4.69 (SD = 0.51), with the final 15-item instrument yielding an overall S-CVI/Ave of 0.99 (initial 0.98 across the original 16 items, refined after removal of one underperforming item per standard CVI practice); the practical usability domain reached S-CVI/Ave = 1.00, indicating full expert agreement. The study contributes a cultural heritage image dataset, a systematic image restructuring procedure, UDL-based design guidelines, iteratively refined and expert-validated CVI evaluation criteria, and a prototype TUI-based tactile learning environment configuration. Full article

Human information processing is often considered vision-dominant. However, perception is multisensory and shaped by interactions among sensory modalities as well as by top-down processes that integrate prior knowledge and context. Research demonstrates that these mechanisms influence early neural processing and enrich perception beyond purely bottom-up input. For individuals who are blind, this adaptability allows for the effective acquisition of information through alternative sensory channels, provided that accessibility systems are in place. A central challenge is the limited access to written materials, including text, numerical data, and music notation. Assistive technologies such as speech synthesis and Braille have become key solutions. This contribution focuses on Braille, discussing issues of organization, standardization, and technical design. It also introduces the project “Braille Display Screen Based on Long-Wave Infrared Radiation,” which seeks to create a passive Braille display as an alternative to conventional actuator-based devices. Full article

Background: Visual impairment (VI) describes decreased visual function that interferes with an individual’s ability to perform daily activities, such as reading, driving, and other executive tasks. Providing optimal pharmaceutical care for this population can be challenging for pharmacists, as individuals with VI face numerous obstacles in managing their medications. This study explores the challenges experienced by pharmacists and visually impaired patients and aims to compare their points of view to identify existing gaps and propose recommendations to optimize medication use among individuals with VI. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2024 and January 2025 among pharmacists (n = 152) and visually impaired patients (n = 31) in the Qassim Region of Saudi Arabia. Pharmacists completed a self-administered questionnaire, while data from visually impaired patients were collected via structured face-to-face interviews. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Version 21, with a significance level set at p < 0.05. Results: A total of 152 pharmacists and 31 visually impaired individuals participated in the study. Only 5.3% of pharmacists had received training related to VI care, and most counseling was directed to caregivers rather than patients (80.3%). pharmacists with additional training in VI were significantly more likely to employ unique or appropriate packaging methods (p < 0.001), and male pharmacists were more likely to rely on caregivers during OTC counseling (p = 0.014). Among the visually impaired participants, 77.5% reported difficulty reading medication packages and 67.7% faced challenges entering pharmacies. Braille literacy was significantly higher among males (p = 0.018) and those with higher education (p = 0.022). Overall, 90.3% expressed a need for improved accessibility tools and communication support in pharmacies. Conclusions: Pharmacists showed confidence in assisting visually impaired patients; however, most lacked formal training and relied heavily on caregivers for communication. Visually impaired individuals also reported difficulties accessing pharmacies, reading medication labels, and receiving complete information from pharmacists. Based on these findings, implementing specialized training programs, expanding Braille and tactile labeling, and integrating assistive technologies within pharmacies are recommended to improve safety and equitable medication use. Full article

The PATCULT 3D project was developed during the 2024–2025 academic year as part of the Degree in Geoinformation and Geomatics at the University of Salamanca (Spain) as a service-learning initiative designed to integrate technical training with social commitment. The main objective was to provide students with practical experience in photogrammetry, 3D laser scanning, and additive manufacturing applied to the documentation and reproduction of cultural heritage. A particular feature of the project was its collaboration with the Spanish National Organization of the Blind (ONCE), placing accessibility for people with visual impairments as a central methodological tenet. Students developed tactile replicas of heritage assets from the province of Ávila, applying universal design principles and implementing Braille-based information systems to ensure fully inclusive modes of cultural engagement. In addition to the digital preservation of heritage, the activity reinforced students’ technical skills (covering data acquisition, 3D modeling, mesh refinement, and digital fabrication workflows) while fostering transversal competences such as teamwork, communication, critical reflection, and social awareness. The evaluation instruments demonstrated high levels of motivation and satisfaction, as well as a growing sensitivity to the social responsibilities of geomatics. The project is explicitly aligned with Sustainable Development Goals 4, 9, 10, and 11, thereby contributing to quality education, technological innovation, the reduction in structural inequalities, and the fostering of inclusive and sustainable communities. Overall, the experience illustrates how the integration of digital technologies with service-learning can strengthen academic training and, at the same time, generate measurable social value by making cultural heritage more accessible. Full article

In the context of museums’ transformation into active social agents, the Entre Luces (Between Lights) project, developed at the Pablo Gargallo Museum in Zaragoza, serves as a compelling example of accessibility understood as a shared cultural responsibility. Implemented within a listed heritage building, where structural modifications were not possible, the project deliberately shifted the focus from architectural accessibility to communicative, cognitive, and sensory dimensions, placing the quality of the cultural experience at the centre. The study employed a qualitative case study design based on document analysis, participant observation, and semi-structured interviews with museum staff, educators, and members of disability organisations. Through a participatory and iterative co-design process, curators, educators, vocational students, and disability organisations collaborated to develop inclusive solutions. People with disabilities were not regarded as passive users but as co-authors of the process: they contributed to the creation of tactile replicas, audio descriptions, sign language resources, braille, pictograms, and motion-activated audio systems. The project generated three main outcomes. It expanded cultural participation among people with diverse disabilities, enriched the sensory and emotional experience of all visitors, and initiated an institutional transformation that reshaped staff training, interpretive approaches, and the museum’s mission towards inclusivity. Entre Luces demonstrates that even small and medium-sized museums can overcome heritage constraints and promote cultural equity and social innovation through inclusive and sensory-based approaches. Full article

In this study, the performance and reliability of two different types of Braille modules, i.e., coil and piezoelectric, under varying temperature conditions were compared. The coil module works on the principle of electromagnetic forces generated by coils, while the piezoelectric module is based on the deformation of piezoelectric materials under electric voltage to move needles. The main purpose of this research was to discuss the stability and functionality of both modules within the temperature range from −30 °C to +50 °C. One thousand cycles of operation were conducted for each temperature step in 5 °C increments, focusing on the correctness of needle movement and system reliability. The results demonstrated that the piezoelectric module exhibited stable operation over the entire temperature range, while the coil module showed instabilities, such as self-jamming and overheating, above 20 °C. These problems were probably due to thermal expansion and reduced lubrication efficiency. These results underscore the piezoelectric module’s improved adaptation to high-temperature operation, making it a promising solution for applications requiring reliable operation under varying conditions. Full article

The development of Braille recognition technology is intrinsically linked to the educational rights of individuals with visual impairments. The key challenges in natural scene Braille detection include three core trade-offs: difficulty extracting small-target features under complex background interference, a balance between model accuracy and real-time performance, and generalization across diverse scenes. To address these issues, this paper proposes an improved YOLOv11 algorithm that integrates a lightweight gating mechanism and subspace attention. By reconstructing the C3k2 module into a hybrid structure containing Gated Bottleneck Convolutions (GBC), the algorithm effectively captures weak Braille dot matrix features. A super-lightweight subspace attention module (ULSAM) enhances the attention to Braille regions, while the SDIoU loss function optimizes bounding box regression accuracy. Experimental results on a natural scene Braille dataset show that the algorithm achieves a Precision of 0.9420 and a Recall of 0.9514 with only 2.374 M parameters. Compared to the base YOLOv11, this algorithm improves the combined detection performance (Precision: 0.9420, Recall: 0.9514) by 3.2% and reduces computational complexity by 6.3% (with only 2.374 M parameters). Ablation experiments validate the synergistic effect of each module: the GBC structure reduces the model parameter count by 8.1% to maintain lightweight properties, and the ULSAM effectively lowers the missed detection rate of ultra-small Braille targets. This study provides core algorithmic support for portable Braille assistive devices, advancing the technical realization of equal information access for individuals with visual impairments. Full article

This paper presents the design and evaluation of a multisensory tangible game device aimed at promoting pre-Braille literacy in children with varying visual abilities, including those who are blind, partially sighted, and sighted. The prototype integrates tactile, auditory, and visual elements to provide an inclusive and engaging learning experience. The device combines educational content with game-based learning, allowing users to interact with Braille characters through touch while receiving auditory feedback and visual cues. A focus group evaluation was conducted to assess the prototype’s effectiveness, engagement, and educational value. Results indicated that the device successfully captured users’ attention, with 83% recognizing its potential as a valuable educational tool for teaching pre-Braille literacy, 92% of participants reporting high engagement, and 75% of participants agreeing with the serious game approach. Feedback also highlighted areas for improvement, including the need for clearer tactile differentiation and more adaptive learning features. This study demonstrates the potential of combining multisensory feedback and serious gaming to enhance literacy education in children with visual impairments and provides insights into the further development of inclusive educational technologies. Full article

Exploring learning trajectories based on student thinking is needed to develop the teaching curricula, practices and educational support materials in mathematics for students with visual impairments. Hence, this study aims to reveal student thinking through various instructional tasks and tactile materials to explore the sequence of goals in the learning trajectory. A teaching experiment involving introductory information on algebraic and visual representations regarding advanced mathematical concepts was designed for correspondence and relations. The research was carried out with a braille-literate 10th-grade high school student with a congenital visual impairment where colour and light are not perceived in Türkiye. As a result of the teaching experiment, the participant was able to determine the correspondence and relations between two sets using different representations. He even designed graphic representations using the needle page. The learning trajectory goals and instructional tasks can serve as guides for research on curriculum development, practice design and material development. Full article

High-density tactile sensor arrays that replicate human touch could restore texture perception in paralyzed individuals. However, conventional tactile sensor arrays face inherent trade-offs between spatial resolution, sensitivity, and crosstalk suppression due to microstructure size limitations and signal interference. To address this, we developed a tactile sensor featuring 10 μm-scale pyramid tips that achieve ultra-high sensitivity (8.082 kPa⁻¹ in 0.2–0.5 kPa range). By integrating a flexible resistive sensing layer with a 256 × 256 active-matrix thin-film transistor (TFT) readout system, our design achieves 500 μm spatial resolution—surpassing human fingertip discrimination thresholds. The sensor demonstrates rapid response (125 ms), exceptional stability (>1000 cycles), and successful reconstruction of 500 μm textures and Braille patterns. This work establishes a scalable platform for high-fidelity tactile perception in static fine texture recognition. Full article

The accurate forecasting of student disability trends is essential for optimizing educational accessibility and resource distribution in the context of Brazil’s oldest public policy, the National Textbook Program (PNLD). This study applies machine learning (ML) and time series forecasting models (TSF) to predict the number of visually impaired students in Brazil using educational census data from 2021 to 2023, with the aim of estimating the amount of Braille textbooks to be acquired in the PNLD’s context. By performing a comparative analysis on various ML models (e.g, Naive Bayes, ElasticNet, gradient boosting) and TSF techniques (e.g., ARIMA and SARIMA models, as well as exponential smoothing) to predict future enrollment trends, we identify the most effective approaches for school-level and long-term disability enrollment predictions. Results show that ElasticNet and gradient boosting excel in forecasting enrollment estimations over TSF models. Despite challenges related to data inconsistencies and reporting variations, incorporating external demographic and health data could further improve predictive accuracy. This research contributes to AI-driven educational accessibility by demonstrating how predictive analytics can enhance policy decisions and ensure an equitable distribution of resources for students with disabilities. Full article