Touching, knowing, representing

From touch to tactile images: the thinking of Montessori, Munari, Romagnoli, Ceppi

Abstract

In the bio‐psycho‐social approach of the ICF (WHO, 2001), the concept of interaction between the subject and his or her context is considered central, and the deficit is considered dependent on interactions with the life contexts – hindering or fa‐cilitating inclusion – in which the person lives. In this sense, in order to conceive, design and implement an educational intervention it is necessary to make intelligible the elements on which it is possible to work educationally: in this, the work with sensory deficits enlightens us and acts as a forerunner, highlighting the importance of the use of multiple and targeted languages and appropriate aids that act as mediators.
Among the various existing mediators, we would like to present TIBs (Tactile Illustrated Books), characterised precisely by the plurality of stimuli and languages they offer. Thinking about TIBs, their design and conception are currently evolving in parallel with the knowledge about non‐visual mental images and haptic touch and the comparison with the graphic‐manipulative representations of reality produced by people with visual impairment.
Many of the thoughts, insights and knowledge presented below find their roots in the thinking of a number of great Masters whom, in this contribution, we recall with particular gratitude.