A Tactile Image Maker

A simple and Fast way to prepare Tactile Graphics.

Piaf is a machine that makes raised line drawings on special paper, called capsule or swell paper. Users can draw, print or photocopy pictures onto the swell paper and pass it through the Piaf. The heat of the Piaf causes the lines to swell and then the drawing can be read with the fingers. It is ideal for people who are blind and vision impaired. Piaf is being used in a variety of educational, employment and personal settings.

Education

In early education Piaf can be used to

• Introduce simple shapes and basic concepts;
• Learn to draw and taking the first tentative steps to expressing oneself graphically;
• Learn about handwriting and signature writing.

In secondary and tertiary education Piaf can be used to access graphical information in nearly all subject areas especially Maths and Science.

Piaf produces high quality localised area maps for orientation and mobility training and for campus or building maps for new students.

Employment

With Piaf, blind and vision impaired people can understand the information on a computer screen, grasp organisational structure of the business and access sales charts. One or two tactile diagrams can save thousands of words.

Home

Piaf can be used to make a chess board accessible, accessing pictures to know the difference between a giraffe and a leopard, and exploring world maps to identify where countries are located.

Features

• Handles paper sizes up to A3 (11.7 x 16.5 inches / 297 x 420mm).
• Fast operation.
• Audio Indication - a beep lets you know when to insert the next sheet.
• Special circuit to extend heater life.
• Energy efficient and quiet.
• Easy handling - strong, easy-grip handle and fold down paper trays.
• Comprehensive safety features.

Email us for more info on the Piaf. [4]

PIAF Resources

This site [5] is about making tactile maps, and is the work of Dr. Ann Gardiner, a highly-respected professional of many years' standing. Follow the link to Dr. Gardiner's comprehensive treatment of producing tactile maps. While the method used is vacuum-forming rather than using swell-paper, the basic design principles are the same regardless of the production method used.

This link [6] is a complete manual on the design of tactile graphics. Written by Marco Shuffelen of the Netherlands Library for Audio Books and Braille, it walks the reader through many different examples and shows just how to re-work diagrams to make them more accessible and readable.