Evaluation of tactile fonts for use by a visually impaired elderly population

Purpose: To study the learning and reading of tactile fonts by seniors. Design: One hundred blindfolded subjects age 65 years and older were taught and studied one of three tactile fonts: a new font named ELIA, the standard Braille font, or a raised Roman font. Methods: ELIA and Roman texts were presented at letter heights of 1.0 cm, 1.1 cm, 1.2 cm, and 1.3 cm, while Braille texts were presented at the standard size (0.7 cm). Training lasted for 30 hours. Test stimuli were presented as single letters in random order or as words in sentences. Results: It was found that ELIA was read with greater speed and letter recognition accuracy than the Roman font and that both the ELIA and Roman fonts were read with greater speed and accuracy than the Braille font. Implications: Most seniors are capable of reading tactile fonts, which can be utilized to achieve greater independence.