Rocky Mountain Braille Associates LLC

Workshops and Trainings Offered

HERDING CATS: A Round-up of Computer Assisted Tactiles (CATs)

Workshop type: Hands-on computer lab with equipment (software and hardware) being covered

Time required: 1-2 days (6-12 hours) based on the topics covered

Description: QT? TSS? Firebird? MSDraw? IVEO? LivescribePen? Tablets? What is this alphabet soup? Explore the computer software and hardware combinations currently on the market and used for creating tactile graphics. In this computer lab session, participants will have the opportunity to try out some of the combos, using short tutorials for each one. Examples of tactile graphics produced using these will be provided for comparison. Design Techniques will be discussed, based on the new BANA Guidelines and Standards for Tactile Graphics.

Objectives: Participants will

• become familiar with a variety of computer software and hardware for producing graphics
• be aware of pros and cons of each production method
• learn the characteristics of a variety of file formats used for graphics
• discover resources for design and production of high quality, readable graphics for students and clients