What is Tactile Graphics

Tactile Graphics using technology for low cost production process. Tactile Graphics are images that consist of raised lines and textures that can be used by people with visual impairment to understand some graphical information using their sense of touch. Tactile Graphics are produced using embossing or other technologies on physical medium like swell paper or PVC sheets. This technology is very useful in various fields like Education where textual content in Braille can be enhanced using Tactile Graphics images.

Who we are

Raised Lines Foundation is a not for profit, Section 8 company incubated out of IIT Delhi. We started our work 4 years ago under Centre of Excellence in Tactile Graphics (CoETG), established at IIT Delhi, with an objective of developing end to end solutions for the development of tactile diagrams in affordable and scalable manner. Raised Lines Foundation (RLF) is incubated from the know-how developed at CoETG to meet the huge unmet demand of tactile diagrams throughout the country and the same team is taking this endeavour forward.
RLF provides tactile design and production services and is closely working with NCERT, Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan (Govt. of India), WSSCC (UN organization) and other organization working in the field of blindness to covert textbooks, resource books, manual etc. in accessible formats along with the tactile diagrams.

Motivation

As per the estimate of WHO there are 38 million visually impaired people of which 90% of them live in the developing world. India has more than 5 million visually impaired people as per 2011 census (largest for any country).A typical text book that is available to visually impaired student in India consists of only text made accessible using Braille while all the diagrams and pictures are removed. The net impact is that very few visually impaired children in India (as well as in other developing countries) are able to pursue STEM subjects like Science, Maths in school and thus almost completely eliminating opportunities for them in most of the new age jobs. Introduction of low-cost Tactile Graphics will create a noticeable improvement in the quality of education of visually impaired people.

Services

Text book reference books for state boards,schools,college and universities. | Concept based tactile books for different subjects.| story books for children.| Greeting cards for various occasions.| computer , smart phones and musical instruments etc.| Prepartion of competitative examinations.| Layouts , Floor Plans and campus Plans.| Customized maps for outdoor and inddor navigation.