7. IAGD Community Experiences
»Tactile Resources Broaden Participation
Edinboro University Planetarium
This brief highlight is on the efforts being made by David Hurd, faculty member in the Geoscience Department and Director at the Edinboro University Planetarium (EUP) in Pennsylvania. David has worked directly with NASA for about 15 years in the area of space science and fostering access for students who are blind or visually impaired. EUP has created several resources including tactile star charts, a tactile star dome, tactile books including “Getting a Feel for Lunar Craters” and “Mars Exploration Program”. They are also currently working on “Getting a Feel for Eclipses” to highlight the upcoming 2017 solar eclips (http://sservi.nasa.gov/books/index.html) and “Small Bodies and Ocean Worlds, the Lure of Our Solar System” a book highlighting moons, asteroids, comets, and more.
The resources that David and the EUP have compiled are having a major impact on their students, and can also impact your K-12 and/or higher education applications through inclusive curriculum and pedagogical design.
Thank you EUP for your work to develop inclusive practices and for sharing your experiences!
An interview of David is available through C-Span: https://www.c-span.org/video/?315188-1/book-discussion-getting-feel-lunar-craters (closed captioning available). The video includes discussion of how EUP creates their tactile resources (e.g. lunar surface) through thermal forming.
More information about the EUP, visit: http://www.edinboro.edu/planetarium
Resources created through the EUP can be found at www.hapticallyspeaking.com
