Resources created to improve visually impaired life

At first glance they don't look different -- a newfangled puzzle for kids, a shoulder bag, an aerobics mat and a navigational device you can attach to your coat.

But these industrial design projects by four Carleton University students, who teamed up with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, are not your everyday goods. They have the potential to improve the lives of the visually impaired.

These and other projects will be on display at an exhibition held by Carleton's School of Industrial Design at the university's art gallery in the St. Patrick Building, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., tomorrow to Tuesday.

A colourful three-dimensional musical puzzle for visually impaired children was inspired by Ilana Ben-Ari's desire to build a bridge between those who can see and those who can't.
The game is for visually impaired children, but the idea is that they would play it with those with sight. It boils down to communication, which is the key to the game.

"It was really interesting to watch while they played the game and the different words that they used," says Ben-Ari. "They see the world in a really different way."

BAG GOING PLACES

Charles Ford Carriere's goal in creating his modular shoulder bag was to help the visually impaired with navigation. The bag incorporates navigational technologies, such as the Global Positioning System, to aid in travel. The bag is made of a conductive fabric to allow for changing technology.

It was the most difficult project Ford Carriere had ever done.

"Usually, when you design, you try to put yourself in the place of the user, you imagine the world through the user's eyes," he says. "Because this is the first time I have designed for someone with a visual impairment, it's almost impossible to see myself in that person's shoes."

Christopher Edwards designed an aerobics mat that emits audio speech and tones to lead the person through a workout.

"I wanted to allow them some kind of independence and increase that level of fitness and I had the requirement to increase navigational ability," he says.

The mat provides the visually impaired a way to work out in a safe and comfortable environment while improving sound recognition skills.

Counteracting the hazards of inclement weather was Elizabeth Mitchell's goal. Her navigational aid helps the visually impaired negotiate an array of outdoor conditions.

"This is part of why I got into the program to begin with," she says. "To know that there are a lot of un-met needs in the world and as designers we are able to help people and ultimately make their daily life more accessible."