Problems encountered in technical education of the blind, and related aids: Virtual cubarythms and 3D drawings

Although an existing different traditional and modern computer techniques, the realization of technical (mathematics and physical) education of the blind and visually empired students at present time is not an easy task. The problem becomes important at a case when the student is a blind person and a teacher is a sighted one who does not know any assistive techniques such as Braille alphabet, screen readers and screen magnifiers software. A new computer remote education technology such as touchscreen mobile devices or graphically available resources that are usually used to derive an education of normal students makes a big barrier for the blind. The barriers to access for blind students to both electronic educational resources as well as remote services on mathematics and physics resulting from the use of other user interfaces for sighted and blind students. Especially important there are differences in the presentation technologies and ways of editing mathematical formulas and drawings. In the paper, the proposal of solutions to help blind students to learn and perform basic mathematical operations with the help of touch screen mobile devices and the presentation of mathematical drawings using 3D printing technologies are explained. These solutions are part of a larger research project that purpose is to develop a mobile platform supporting mathematical and physical education for the blind by sighted teachers.