kaplantm / mds__app

Smartphone based multi-sensory educational tool for sighted and non-visual students and educators. Unbuilt Unity project included.

MDS__App

A free smartphone based multi-sensory educational tool for sighted and non-visual students and educators.

The Multimodal Diagram System (MDS) mobile application utilizes haptic feedback, audio and high contrast visuals to provide a multisensory accessible educational tool for presenting diagrams, maps, graphs and other information usually presented through visuals or tactile diagrams.

The Multimodal Diagram System was designed to provide affordable accessible to tactile diagrams for blind and low vision students, whose educational materials are often limited in availability, expensive, bulky and uni-modal. This system enables educators to create diagrams to fit their lesson plan for free and without the need for expensive braille printers, embossers, vacuum forming machines or extensive training.

While the primary audience motivating the development of this diagram display system is non-visual learners, the project has other audiences, including educators and parents as well as sighted and low vision students. The multi-model nature of this interface benefits all students, and makes it possible for students in mix-ability classrooms to use the same diagram system, thereby promoting inclusion while also enriching the lecture experience for all students.