Research Information System
2nd International Conference on Science, Mathematics, Entrepreneurship and Technology Education, Bursa, Turkey, 19 - 22 November 2020, pp.228
Although advancing technology and diversity of teaching materials, textbooks are still among the
commonly used printed materials. The textbooks present the content of the subjects in the curriculum to the
student in a planned way. They allow students to access the content of the course and allow them to work
independently, even when there is no teacher. A well-designed textbook can facilitate the student’s access to
information. In science education, it is thought that the content, educational design, and physical properties
of the textbooks together with various variables, are important for student’s achievement. Therefore, the
accessibility of textbooks is important for all students. Students who have loss of vision and cannot use vision
in educational environments use embossed Braille textbooks. This study aims to investigate the accessibility
of the visuals on “Motion” subject that are in 9th Grade Braille Physics Textbook, Motion and Force Unit for
visually impaired students. Despite the fact that some of the visuals in the subject are included in Braille
textbook by modification, some of the visuals are removed. It is determined that the texts that refer to the
extracted images are partially edited. Visuals extracted from the sample questions in the subject limit the
access of blind students to questions. Since the visuals in the subject are included because of their
contributions such as attracting the student's interest in the content of physics, providing a relationship with
daily life, presenting problems related to the subject, it can be thought that blind students can not benefit
from these objectives like their sighted peers. It is thought that embossing the visuals of the subject as much
as possible, and writing verbal descriptions of the visuals which can not be embossed will contribute to the
fair access of the blind students to motion subject in physics textbook.
Keywords: Braille textbook, accessibility, blind students, visuals, visuals