Teaching AutoCAD to a visually impaired student

[chris.swetcky]

For my Intro to AutoCAD class one of my students is Visually Impaired (0% being able to see). He uses screen readers and other technology to successfully navigate technology. According to the American Federation for the Blind, I have to make every attempt to teach him AutoCAD. Being such a visual program, I am having a hard time finding a starting place. Has anyone had any experience working with visually impaired individuals and AutoCAD before? Does anyone know of any accessible features that might be available within AutoCAD to help him along?

Any help would be much appreciated!

[Johanna_Esteban]

Hi @chris.swetcky, 

I don't think it's impossible but there are big limitations.
The voice commands should be able to be applied and learn the commands based on coordinates (it is certainly a great challenge), although to begin with it must have a spatial reasoning that I don't know how you could stimulate.

Regards, 

[pendean]

I suspect your and your school district need to get in touch with the AFB and develop a program that addresses the limitation and opportunities for this student.

Their contact info is at the bottom of this page https://www.afb.org/about-afb/what-we-do/afb-consulting/services-and-solutions

[dbroad]

This is where accessibility requirements meet their absurd end. How could a blind individual read or create drawings?  Certainly there is text on drawings that can be read but the graphical content doesn't speak for itself.  I don't see how any reasonable accommodation can be made to turn a blind individual into a drafter.

As others have said, it would be far better to assess abilities and to direct the student to a field where they can contribute meaningfully.

[TheCADnoob]

I have seen some visually impaired people do some amazing things with computers. That said, the output of this particular product is visual in nature so it does seem like quite an undertaking. 

I might ask what the students goals are and tailor you teaching to what they are trying to accomplish. IF they are looking for a career in design i might steer them towards the data oriented nature of the program (if the visual design is problematic) 

The other aspect is to see how well their text/voice software does with AutoCAD. 

If the GUI of AutoCAD seems to be a little difficult to work with i would be tempted to have them work in coreconsole that way they can deal directly with keyboard input and remove all visual aspect form the equation. This would relieve any hassles of the GUI though it would require rethinking your approach to teaching and would quite a bit of abstraction on the users part. It should be noted that is you go this route some of the more complex commands are not available in coreconsole. 

[SeeMSixty7]

@TheCADnoob  I like your though process on the ACCORECONSOLE use, It woudl be challenging to look over their shoulder and make sure it's all good, but it would force the instructor to be able to somewhat understand the lack of visual element to work with. 

@chris.swetcky Do you have the ability to print tactile prints?

If so it seems like you would want to build on the Cartesian coordinate system for feed back, concentrate more on absolute and relative coordinates rather than just picking points on the screen. Any placements of anything for the student would be very specific of course. Drafting for the visually impaired would have a different set of rules for their own checking, but I assume they would also want to produce documentation that is acceptable to be reviewed by non visually impaired. Layers could be utilized to add additional data for the braille components and used during development and help identify elements when printed on a tactile print system, but printed to a regular printer those features could be disabled. I think I'm starting to ramble. Hopefully some of that starts the idea process going.

Good luck,

[Anonymous]

@chris.swetcky 

Hi,

I'm a visually impaired architecture student in the uk and I'm having to learn AutoCAD for my course. I was wondering if you found any good work arounds or have any tips? 

Thanks.

[mzs6524]

Hello @Anonymous

As the student being referenced in the initial post, I'd like to take a second to address some of your comments.

First, there are plenty of ways for individuals who are blind or visually impaired to create and read meaningful drawings. While most of these methods involve embossing diagrams on paper or a similar method, more and more software solutions are becoming available. Of note, NASA released a program called Math Tracks that allows people who use screen readers to read and write graphs. As was the case when people switched from drafting by hand to drafting on a computer, technology took a long time to catch up to demand. The same is true for assistive technology.

Being that you're an architect, I think you'd be amazed by the story of this architect who lost his vision well into his professional career and is still working in the field. This link 

Moving on, you say that I should find a field where I can make meaningful contribution. For context, I am a junior at a top university in the U.S. (with a cumulative 4.0 GPA) Double majoring in Theatrical Sound Design and Telecommunications, with minors in Music Technology and Business Law, and a certificate in Business Fundamentals. I have worked with Emmy Award-Winning, Tony Nominated, and Academy nominated performers and engineers, and I have worked on primetime TV events viewed by millions. One aspect of my job as a Sound Designer/Engineer is making speaker plots, which is why drafting is an essential skill.

My professor and I were able to figure out a way for me to draft successfully. This was possible because he and others, unlike yourself, approached the challenge with an open mind and creative thinking. If you still have any doubt, I'd be happy to send you some of the drawings I produced.

[dbroad]

Thanks for your thoughts.  Best wishes in your career. You are apparently the exception to the rule.  Visually impaired is a broad category, though.  For the truly blind, I would still recommend careers that are less visually demanding.

[mzs6524]

Hi,

  I'm the student mentioned in the initial post in this thread. I was able to successfully complete my class in AutoCAD. I'd be happy to talk with you about what worked and what didn't if you're interested. Best of luck!

[Johanna_Esteban]

Hi @mzs6524, 

What happiness! I feel very happy for you.
I would love to know what worked and what interesting comments you have for future improvements.

Many successes.

Regards, 

[Anonymous]

Hi, hi, i would also like to know how your learning experience was, what went right and what went wrong ?, i was blind for six years and i would like to go back to my studies, i hope i can also count on your feedback.  thanks .

I am Sorry for my English, i am learning.

[mzs6524]

To everyone who is in a similar situation and asking for advice on what worked and what didn't work, I apologize for my delay in responding. I don't typically spend a lot of time on these forums. Feel free to send me an email at mzs6524@psu.edu if you want to talk about best practices for navigating AutoCAD with a screen reader, and I'm happy to chat!

[Anonymous]

I have a client who worked as an architect before he lost his vision. We are trying to figure out accessible drawing programs. Were you able to figure out how to make the program accessible? @chris.swetcky 

[Anonymous]

I have a client who worked as an architect before he lost his vision. We are trying to figure out accessible drawing programs. Have you had any luck with any in school? @Anonymous 

[Anonymous]

I have a client who worked as an architect before he lost his vision. We are trying to figure out accessible drawing programs. Were you able to figure out how to make the program accessible? Can we discuss how you were able to learn AutoCAD and if you've tried other programs. We are thinking about trying sketch up. @mzs6524 

[Anonymous]

I work in this field. I do not believe the ADA or other laws would require you to make this course accessible. The whole topic of mental rotation of people who are blind is controversial. It would make more sense for the student to take a course more relevant 

[Mr.Baena]

I'm an engineering High School teacher and two weeks ago lost severely my visual acuity in a car accident.

I'm interested in learning about CAD and CAM for blind and visually impaired folks.

In a quick Google search found about these peeps from Standfor University (https://shape.stanford.edu/research/shapeShift/). They developed an open-source solution that I'd like to learn more about.

It's a beginning for me. 

[nancy_c_smith]

I am so happy you found a way to use CAD.  Please help.  I might have a blind student in my Intro to CAD course next fall.  I would love to know how I can help the student explore Autodesk Fusion 360 to design products.