Building Your Fine Arts Toolkit

We believe art is for everyone! Students and adults who are blind and visually impaired should not be denied the enjoyment and firsthand experience of creating art. We have a plethora of accessible tools and materials available that accommodate open-ended self-expression. Art experiences enhance other learning goals as well, including the development of fine motor/hand skills, the honing of tactile skills (e.g., texture discrimination, line tracking, shape identification), and the nurturing of self-esteem. Here are some product options to consider for use with your students and by adults:

• All-In-One Board – an interactive platform (either loop/felt material or dry erase side) that uses hook-backed or magnetic pieces from other APH kits (e.g., Textured Sorting Circles and Shapes) or dry erase markers.
• Braille Beads: APH Starter Kit – a kit of colorful stringing beads with braille alphabet letters that allow a child or adult to personalize objects of art that they can wear.

• Color-by -Texture Marking Mats– an assortment of marking mats that vary in texture (e.g., wavy, bumpy, zigzag) and Raised-Line Coloring Pages Set. Place these mats underneath our Color-by-Texture CIRCUS Coloring Pages, and rub them with waxed crayons to transfer the texture of a selected mat to a coloring page. A “Fun Shapes” mat and a sturdy drawing tray are also included in the kit.
• DRAFTSMAN Tactile Drawing Board and related DRAFTSMAN Tactile Drawing Film – a drawing board for quick raised-line renderings. Use in combination with the provided two-ended drawing stylus or a common ballpoint pen.
• Feel ‘n Peel Sticker Series – a variety of stickers (e.g., Faces, Point Symbols) that can be used to embellish one’s artwork.
• Feel n’ Peel Sheets, Carousel of Textures and Carousel of Textures II – a variety of textured paper, foam, and translucent vinyl that can be used to adapt or create artwork and collages.

• Lots of Dots Series – three separate raised-line coloring books including Learning My ABC’s, Coloring the Garden, and Counting 1 2 3.
• Paint by Number Safari™ – four separate thematic raised-line coloring books including Tropical Rainforest, Under the Sea, Backyard Creatures, and Desert Creatures.

• Paint Pot Palette – a set of custom-made, whimsical raised-line coloring pages. The kit includes paint pots, paintbrushes, and watercolor paints, as well as other accessories.
• Picture Maker: Wheatley Tactile Diagramming Kit and related accessory kits (Picture Maker Geometric Textured Shapes and Picture Maker Textured Strips) – a wide variety of hook-material-backed shapes and strips that can be used in combination with a felt board for creating open-ended art designs.
• Quick-Draw Paper – expandable “sponge” sheets that can be drawn on with water-based markers. Drawn lines or shapes will immediately swell and become tactile.
• TactileDoodle – a kid-friendly drawing board that can be used to generate tactile, raised-line graphics on Tactile Drawing Film (included). A short, easy-to-grasp drawing stylus is also provided.

• Tactile Compass for Math and Art – a unique drawing tool for creating tactile circles on braille paper or plastic film.
• Tactile Graphics Image Library (TGIL)– a variety of free, downloadable coloring pages, including those from the Color-by-Texture Marking Mats
• Tactile Graphic Line Slate – a unique drawing tool to add discernible tactile lines (dotted, dashed, solid, railroad) to braille paper, plastic film, or heavy-gauge Aluminum Diagramming Foil: Sheets (sold separately).

• Textured Paper Collection– a variety of self-adhesive textured sheets for creation and adaptation of art designs.
• Time for Art: Art Projects and Lessons for Students with Visual Impairments – a handbook for teachers and parents with tips on how to provide art instruction to students with visual impairments and blindness; it includes companion lessons as well.

Don’t allow your students or adults to be timid, modest artists! Encourage them to enter their personal art creations into APH’s annual InSights Art Competition. For more information, go to https://insights-art.org/.​

For more APH products that may fit your students’ art-related activities, visit our website at aph.org or contact us at (800) 223-1839.