On the Development of Haptic-Virtual Learning Systems for the Education of Blind People

Abstract

The concept of inclusive education goes beyond considering the needs of people with disabilities; it refers to the process of recognizing the students' learning needs and to act according to such needs. People with visual limitations do not necessarily require more attention and dedication than other people; they only need to be initially guided and to have accessible information. Thus, one of the main challenges of universal education is to generate inclusive and assistive educational technologies, which can be used for the teaching and learning of people with disabilities. In this chapter, the development and assessment of haptic-enabled virtual reality learning systems for the education of non-sighted people are presented and discussed. These virtual systems represent the research work conducted to promote the accessible education of blind people and to determine the effectiveness of virtual touch in the education of blind people.