The potential of vibrotactile stimulation to enrich the perceptual world of congenitally and early blinded children was evaluated through an educational program developed to introduce spatial concepts typically associated with visual perception. The vibrotactile device used was a modified Optacon of Telesensory Systems, Incorporated. The program was evaluated using 30 blind children, ranging in age from 8 to 14 years, who possessed no more than minimal light perception. It has been suggested that vibrotactile stimulation is perceptually informative and could serve congenitally and early blinded children as a potential basis for an extended understanding of three-dimensional space.
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