Accessible Test

Pattern Matching Cards (for Giant Textured Beads)

(New)
Purpose

To provide tactile/visual pattern matching cards that extend the use of APH’s existing Giant Textured Beads. The tactile cards and textured beads will support the tactile continuum encountered in APH’s Setting the Stage for Tactile Understanding—real object, thermoformed object, and raised line drawing.

Project Staff

Karen J. Poppe, Tactile Graphics Project Leader

Tom Poppe, Pattern/Model Maker
Background

Giant Textured Beads is a long-standing, consistently popular product produced by APH. The kit consists of 12 large tactile, colored beads that incorporate three different textures (smooth, striped, and checkered), three different colors (red, yellow, and blue), and three different shapes (cube, rectangular solid, and cylinder). Intended for young children 3 to 6 years old, the beads can be strung onto a provided cord in various combinations (guided by the teacher’s verbal instructions) that reinforce concepts related to shape, color, and texture. However, the kit lacks the common component included with many commercial bead-stringing kits—that is, pattern matching cards. To make the matching cards for the Giant Textured Beads fully accessible to students with visual impairments and blindness, the cards need to be both visual and tactile.

In April 2008, the project leader submitted a product idea form that suggested that APH design and offer tactile matching cards to complement the Giant Textured Beads. The submission form indicated that the proposed product would provide the following:

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  Extended tactile activities for a very popular APH product [Giant Textured Beads sold 750 in ’05; 860 in ’06; 648 in ’07; and 802 in ’08].
  
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  Additional interactive hands-on activities that encourage a young child’s understanding of various shapes and textures.
  
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  Exposure to tactile graphic displays that support other content areas (e.g., mathematics) within a purposeful context.
  
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  Materials that allow a young child to engage in open-ended creative activities—e.g., building and designing their own tactile patterns.
  

As proposed, the product will encourage:

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  Identification of shapes
  
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  Identification of textures
  
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  Identification of colors
  
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  Patterning skills: describing, creating patterns, recognizing patterns, extending patterns, etc.
  
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  Interpretation of tactile displays—thermoformed and raised line formats
  
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  Patterning skills and concepts consistent with the current NCTM Standards for Grades K-3
  

The target population was expanded to also include older students who still need tactile interpretation training.
In May 2008, the product idea was reviewed by the Product Evaluation Team (PET) and was approved for development by the Product Advisory and Review Committee (PARC). By the end of the fiscal year, the project leader had conducted a “Brainstorming” meeting with the Product Development Committee.
Work during FY 2009

A product timeline for the development of the Pattern Matching Cards for the Giant Textured Beads was established in January 2009.

In March 2009, the project leader posted a request for current owners/users of the Giant Textured Beads to complete a 10-question survey to confirm the need for tactile matching cards, as well as garner feedback about the current bead design and use. Although only a small number of teachers completed the survey, helpful information was garnered. The feedback provided the following insights:
Giant Textured Beads were being used with children older than six years of age, including students in grades 1-3, as well as students with multiple disabilities and cognitive delays. One respondent reported that she used the beads with high school students “in a life skills classroom to build their hand/eye coordination and work on keeping their vision focused on a specific activity,” noting that the beads “help build sensory awareness and identification skills.”
The beads were used for a variety of activities including: matching beads to similar ones of the same shape; following an “ab” or “abc” pattern with the textures/shapes; matching the shape of the bead to other objects in the environment; copying a pattern created by the teacher; using the beads to represent letter sequences, words, or sound patterns; and so forth.
One hundred percent of the respondents thought that pattern matching cards would be a helpful accessory to the existing beads. As one teacher noted: “If the cards are tactile, this would be of great benefit for students learning to discriminate tactile graphics and to be able to be more independent when working on a task.” Another echoed: “The cards would help the child develop tactile discrimination skills from 3D to 2D.”
One hundred percent of the respondents supported the project leader’s intention to add a tray to allow a child to place (rather than string) the beads into separate compartments. As one evaluator attested: “Currently we use a table and it is difficult to keep the beads in a central location for students to reach.” Another expected that “it would specifically help autistic and multi-impaired visually impaired students.”
One hundred percent of the respondents indicated that assortment of print/tactile pattern matching cards (e.g., 2-D raised shape with texture, 2-D raised shapes without texture, and 3-D view with hidden lines depicted) would allow a variety of matching activities. As one respondent indicated: “A variety of cards would be great for students at various cognitive/skill levels.”
Some respondents requested a duplicate of each type of bead. As one teacher explained: “I often combine sets in order to work with students and have them copy me.”

Throughout the third and fourth quarters of the fiscal year, multiple prototypes of the Matching Pattern Cards for the Giant Textured Beads were designed and built exclusively by the Project Leader and the Model/Pattern Maker in preparation for field test activities. These tasks involved the following:

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  Determining and planning the types of tactile/print cards to include.
  
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  Reviewing the color of the beads for possible improvement.
  
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  Assigning tactually discernible corner cuts to the three set of cards to distinguish by type.
  
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  Designing and building a custom tray to hold both the beads and matching cards.
  
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  Constructing a thermoform pattern to form the tray (two trays per kit)
  
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  Selecting an ideal thickness of styrene to use for the tray.
  
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  Constructing a thermoform pattern to form all of the matching cards in one set-up.
  
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  Preparing silkscreen artwork to register with the raised images.
  
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  Researching the availability of 6mm colored foam to serve as the substrate for each of the cards.
  
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  Forming, die-cutting, and affixing foam substrate to cards.
  
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  Identifying and ordering an ideal container for the product.
  

By the end of July 2009, the project leader and Tom Poppe had all the tangibles constructed for field test purposes—two months ahead of schedule despite the product’s complexity. In September, the project leader authored an Activities Booklet to accompany the beads and matching cards.

Work planned for FY 2010

The prototypes of the Matching Pattern Cards for the Giant Textured Beads will be mailed to field evaluators for direct use with students representing a variety of ages and visual acuities. The project leader and Pattern/Model Maker will use the evaluators’ feedback to determine enhancements to the materials and accompanying guidebook. The Product Development Committee will reconvene and update the timeline (if needed). Post field-test activities will include:

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  Preparing final tooling for tray, matching cards, and guidebook (to be produced in both large print and braille).
  
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  Working with outside vendor of the beads to ensure brightest possible colors during the liquid resin forming process.
  
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  Preparing final specifications for use by Purchasing and Production staff
  
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  Overseeing the quality of the first pilot and production runs.
  
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  Assisting with the brochure content.
  
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  Showcasing the final product at workshops and conferences.
  

The goal is to have the product available for sale by the first of 2010-2011 school year.