Tagalog text-to-braille translator tactile story board with 3D printing

Abstract

New technologies create new challenges, especially for those who cannot read, count, and write. It has been reported that out of 161 million blind people or visually impaired people in the world, 90% of them live in developing communities. However, only 3% are capable to read, write, or count. The Philippines is estimated to have half a million blind Filipinos. National Library’s Division for the Blind contained 922 Braille titles, 880 cassette titles, and 462 large print titles. A report concluded that Braille reading materials are lacking in schools and despite the condition of blind Filipinos, many still want to read. This study is focused on developing an assistive system for visually impaired children under kindergarten. The developed system enhanced the existing reading materials that is used by visually impaired students by providing a 3D visual representation of children’s book. Significant story lines of a book were translated to Braille text to tactile board then made into a 3D printed product as a learning material presented to visually impaired students in class. The developed system was tested and used by the target users to their full learning potential.