3D printed tactile sign language alphabet
People with combined vision and hearing loss often find that learning materials designed for the deaf, are not accessible for the blind. This issue is frequently encountered at Eikholt national centre for the deafblind in Norway.
Some blind people with progressive hearing loss may need to learn tactile sign language for communication, even though they use hearing aids or cochlear implants. For blind adults, the two-hand alphabet is a common starting point in the sign language training. However, learning to "read" the hands of others by touch is difficult, requiring time, effort, and the presence of a teacher. Without accessible learning materials, studying alone is not possible.
To address this, we have 3D-scanned and 3D-printed the Norwegian two-hand sign language alphabet to create tactile learning materials in education for the deafblind. These 3D models are available to download from this site.
The models will be uploaded as they are scanned and processed. The completed alphabet will be available by the end of the year.