Presented at 3:00 pm in Penrose 1 on Wednesday, November 19, 2025.
#41371Speaker(s)
- Klaus-Peter Hars, Mr, Inventivio GmbH
Session Details
- Length of Session: 1-hr
- Format: Interactive/Discussion
- Expertise Level: All Levels
- Type of session: General Conference
Summary
An innovative approach for teaching people with blindness to independently access, understand, learn and rehearse Mathematics and STEM subjects using a combination of assistive technology, smart learning tools, intelligent learning apps and free learning content will be shown.
Learning STEM subjects can be challenging for people with blindness because in these fields many concepts are visual or spatial in nature. Participants will learn how to help level the playing field in STEM subjects.
Abstract
The intent of this workshop is to demonstrate the use and implementation of accommodations in the form of assistive technology, smart learning tools, intelligent learning apps, and free learning content for the purpose of teaching mathematical and STEM concepts to individuals who are blind and visually impaired. Mathematics plays a key role in everyday life and education. STEM subjects require you to think critically and approach problems methodologically and step-by-step. However, these subjects often use graphical and spatial models that are hard to access for people with blindness or visual impairment.
In the workshop we will first address the fundamental challenges people with blindness face in learning STEM subjects and derive 6 requirements that need to be fulfilled to enable people with blindness to learn successfully. In an second chapter we will show live how the target population can access, understand, learn and rehearse STEM subjects independently. This demonstration will show how people with blindness can learn independently and interactively with the assistive learning technology Tactonom Reader Flex. In addition, we will demonstrate how the use of smart tools, like 3D models, smart measuring tools (Ruler, Protractor, Compass) that take the learning experience from a 2D dimension into the 3D dimension. Also, intelligent learning apps for people with blindness will be presented that further enhance the learning experience of people with blindness.
In a final part we will present an open and free database of audio-tactile learning materials that have been adapted to the special needs of people with blindness or visual impairment.
Keypoints
- Six requirements need to be met to enable people with blindness to learn with graphical information
- By combining the audio and the tactile sense even complex visual and spatial concepts become accessible.
- Thousands of free learning graphics for people with blindness are available in a database for free
Disability Areas
Vision
Topic Areas
Assistive Technology, Uncategorized
Speaker Bio(s)
Klaus-Peter Hars
Klaus-Peter Hars and his brother Alexander are the two founders of Inventivio, an innovation leader in assistive technologies for people with blindness and visual impairments. Inspired by two blind family members, the brothers have the vision to reduce the barriers blind and visually impaired people face in education, mobility, on the job and in participating in society through innovation.
Under the Tactonom brand (from ‘tactile’ and ‘autonomous’) the company develops and commercializes assistive technologies to improve the learning and working opportunities for people with blindness and visual impairments.