I would love some advice on my University project involving sensory impairments!

AUSH

Hi everyone,

I'm a design student and I've recently took up a project which involves making learning through play accessible for all children, particularly, I chose to focus on visually impaired children and how they are able to learn at a similar and fair pace to non-impaired children.

My design has came to a point where I think I could do with some advice from those who have had to live or encounter being visually impaired, as I myself am not.

My design is aimed at 3-5 year old children where they use multi-sensory blocks that help them to build associations with things and in my case, farm animals.

The pack would come with blocks as well as individual slides that would fit into the specifically shaped side of each block for that animal, the missing slides that the child would have to fit in would be one characteristic slide and one braille slide. Each block has a pre-fitted speaker which would play the noise for the animal of that block. So for example, lets use a cow. The block plays the noise "moo", the child then has to distinguish between the characteristic slides which one feels most like a cow, they will then fit that into the block. This is then repeated for the braille slide, they will feel each piece to find which slide spells "cow' and fit this in to the block to complete the sensory block for a cow.

It isn't a fully developed idea yet which is why I'm reaching out for some valuable advice. This advice can be literally anything! I'd love to hear what you like about it, what could be improved and maybe even what you think would be good to put on the characteristic slides, what would you associate the feeling of with different farm animals?

It would be extremely helpful and I'd be very appreciative if I was able to get some advice from this amazing community! 

Tori_Scope

Hi @AUSH Thanks for posting about your project! 

Am I right in thinking that you aren't looking to collect any personal information or data from our members at this point? 

AUSH

@Tori_Scope Yes you're right, I don't need any personal details just here to get some advice and valuable insights from the community!

AUSH

@Username_removed I just wanted opinions really, if you think its a viable product or anything you would recommend to add. I personally don't have any experience with sensory impairments so was hoping to get a different view on my project from those who may have 

AUSH

@Username_removed

I'm following an RSA (Royal Society of Arts) brief, in each brief they give a question for you to follow, mine includes making learning through play more accessible. This is in regards to children growing up in different economic situations, not all parents can go out and afford to buy toys for their child that would help them to learn and play which is key for a child's development. (I cover this aspect in my project but I wanted to focus more on the physical product for advice)

What I meant by similar and fair learning pace, is that sighted children learn through observation, they are able to understand associations with things around them through sight. Whilst visually impaired children don't have this and need help to make these associations using other senses, which may not necessarily be slower it just adds other aspects to things like toys, which is why I chose to develop one. It's all about creating a toy that gives visually impaired children the same opportunities to learn and develop as sighted children. 

Like I have said before I have no experience with any sensory deficits which is why I'm here to get advice on any changes that people think should be made to the actual product or aspects I am missing.