Blind Chemistry Project: Developing a Tactile Resource for Teaching Atomic Concepts to Blind and Low Vision Students

• Published in: Journal of chemical education Vol. 102; no. 8; pp. 3268 - 3276
• Main Author: Fuentes Anton, Sergio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Easton American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc 12.08.2025; American Chemical Society
• Subjects: Atomic structure; Chemical composition; Chemistry; College students; Colleges & universities; Complexity; Education; Elementary education; Feedback; Grammatical aspect; Higher education; Learning environment; Prototypes; Science education; Secondary school students; Spanish language; Students; Teachers; Teaching methods; Vision; Visual aids; Visual impairment; Visual Impairments; Writing instruction; Hands-On Learning/Manipulatives; Continuing Education; Testing/Assessment; Atomic Properties/Structure; Humor/Puzzles/Games; High School/Introductory Chemistry; Inorganic Chemistry
• ISSN: 0021-9584; 1938-1328
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.4c01463

Learning the practical aspects of science poses significant challenges for students in general, and these difficulties are particularly pronounced for students who are blind or visually impaired. In subjects such as chemistry, the need to manipulate specific materials or substances introduces safety concerns and creates additional barriers to active participation. Moreover, understanding complex concepts, such as atomic structure and molecular composition, becomes especially challenging without access to visual aids like diagrams and illustrations. To address these issues, this paper presents the development of a prototype specifically designed to facilitate the teaching of atomic concepts to blind and low vision students across diverse academic levels. The prototype was evaluated during the 2023/2024 academic year with three distinct groups: 53 second-year university students enrolled in a Primary Education teaching degree, 27 high school students, and 28 teachers from various regions in Spain. The participation of the teacher group was coordinated in collaboration with ONCE, the Spanish National Organization for the Blind. Feedback from these groups informed iterative refinements to the prototype, with adjustments made to features such as shape, color, and size to enhance usability and effectiveness. Insights provided by ONCE advisors confirmed the prototype’s suitability as an educational tool for visually impaired students. Minor modifications were suggested to adapt the model’s complexity for various age groups and educational contexts.