Building capacity: eTextile tactile storybook workshops

The first step to literacy is engagement with books and the printed word. This is even more important for children who are blind or have severe low vision, as active touch is required for exposure to meaning through tactile books. ETextiles offer an affordable and innovative method for enhancing tactile book pages with sensory inputs and interaction to encourage engagement. We explored the training requirements for people to incorporate eTextiles into tactile story books, even without prior experience or skills. Through the process of creating sample materials and training adults and children at public workshops, we developed a set of guiding principles for facilitating workshops on creating tactile story books with eTextiles to encourage tactile engagement in children with vision impairments.