Sabrina Morisson, Design for All conceptor

Origami's Haptic Qualities

"I feel, I understand and I'm able to replicate"

- As a blind person who has never seen, I have to collect all the details to recreate an image and to understand its 3D perspectives.

Sabrina will present her tactile origami books. With tactile origami books, visual impaired and blind people can reach two specific goals: build a mental representation of volume and replicate the form by themselves by exploring all the folds in the paper. Guided by the choice of steps, the color contrasts and textures on the paper, the shape of the book and tactile guides, the user will get a better understanding and concentration span. This method is the result of observations and activities over a two years period in various workshops with adults, teenagers and children with different types of disabilities, and also with the professionals of Les Doigts qui Rêvent (France) and Institut Nazareth & Louis-Braille (province of Québec, Canada) working daily with visually impaired people.

Sabrina will present strategies that is used by people with visual impairment and blindness to build their own mental representation of a 3D image and techniques to create an intuitive tactile and focused exploration.