Creative Commons

This dissertation was written as part of the MSc in Strategic Product Design at the International Hellenic University. Through the dissertation, it is researched the meaning of visual impairment, the characteristics of visually impaired people, and their needs. The focused group is children. After a brief research on Braille system, methods used to teach Braille to children, are being particularly examined. A market research to disclose the products designed for visually impaired people, focuses finally on products designed for visually impaired children. The significance of play, in children’s education, is underlined, describing the essentials children are able to gain. The dissertation ends up with the design of a toy for visually impaired children, which aims to help children learn the Braille writing and the English alphabet, as well as the correlation between them. I would like to acknowledge my gratitude to my supervisor Mr. George Liamadis, for allowing me the space and freedom to choose the topic and to work, and for the continued support, encouragement and the valuable advice he has provided. Also, I want to thank my family that trusts and supports me in every step of my life. Keywords: Visually impaired, children, toy, design, Braille and alphabet.