Tactile as Learning Toys for Blind Kids

Abstract

Tactile toy which is specially designed to stimulate one or more of the senses and involves the sensation of touch and texture. It focuses on the development of the toy through a research study that is being conducted to evaluate their impact on blind kids. The researcher wants to empower the blind kids’ natural curiosity to reach out and explore, develop fine and gross motor skills, develop hand coordination, desensitization and encourage success and open discussion using the tactile sensory toy. In this research, the researcher highlights the issues such as lack of sensory toy for blind kids in Malaysia, existing toy's design and material are inappropriate for them and existing toy are not durable and easily damaged. This research aims to create sensory toy for blind kids that can develop their hands on and sensory skills, to create a suitable design and material toy that will help them to involve in lesson and play-based activities and to produce high quality and durable toy. Questionnaires by Google Form was created to examine the community’s knowledge about tactile sensory toy for blind kids. Research from the data found that community have difficulties in finding tactile sensory toy for blind kids in Malaysia that specially using design and materials that suits them. As a result, tactile sensory toy was created in high quality and durable toy which designed for blind kids using various types of textures that will help them to involve in lesson and play-based activities.