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Description

Learn about tactile features, then spell out a word in braille, which is a tactile code, using biscuits and sweets. Equipment Food colouring Bowls Spoons Access to a sink Access to water Tables Paper plates Icing sugar Round sweets, such as smarties or M&Ms

Resources

Food colouring
Bowls
Spoons
Water
Icing sugar
Plain biscuits, such as Rich Tea, Digestive
Round sweets, such as smarties or M&Ms

Instructions

1. Gather everyone in a circle and ask if anyone knows what a tactile feature is.
2. Explain that tactile features use the sense of touch to provide information to someone. This tactile feature helps blind and partially sighted people identify different things.
3. Ask if anyone can think of any tactile features that they may have seen or felt. Some examples are tactile pavements, when the pavement is textured or bumpier, as this can let people know where crossings and other road features are. Some bank notes, such as £10 and £20 notes, have different numbers of raised dots on them to help people tell them apart. The number ‘5’ on keyboards often has a raised dot on it let people know where their fingers are on the keypad/keyboard too.
4. Ask if anyone has heard of Braille. Explain that Braille is a tactile code that enables blind and visually impaired people to read and write. It’s nearly 200 years old, and it’s based on a system of raised dots that are ‘read’ by people running their fingertips over them. There are 63 possible combinations of the six dots which are used to represent the alphabet and numbers. 
5. See if anyone has seen braille anywhere before. You might have noticed braille on the numbers in lifts or braille on medicine boxes from pharmacies. 
6. Explain that today you’re going to spell out the word ‘Scouts’, or another chosen word, in braille and on biscuits.
7. Everyone should get into groups of six and assign each person a letter to make from the word ‘Scouts’ (or whichever word is chosen).  
8. The group should take a copy of the braille alphabet, then get ready at a table or in a space with a plate, icing, a spoon or knife, some biscuits and sweets.
9. Ask everyone to put icing on the biscuits, then place it on the plate. Once it’s nearly set, add the circular sweets to the biscuit to spell out the letter, making sure to carefully copy the braille alphabet.  
10. When they’re set, put the biscuits in the right order to spell out the world, then eat the biscuits. If each group is making a different word, first go round and see if groups can guess each other’s words they’ve made. 

Tags

• alphabet
• Biscuit Decorating
• blind aids
• braille

Badge Links

• Disability Awareness - Braille