For several years, CCIFER Business Awards is a competition that celebrates excellence and innovation, bringing to the fore the expertise and performances of companies and organizations from the Franco-Romanian business community and rewarding inspiring achievements. The 2024 edition brought together 67 projects, from which the jury chose a short list of nominations and, during the Gala on November 26, in Bucharest, the 5 winners.
The West University of Timișoara was represented in this competition by the project General Tactile Geographical Atlas, coordinated by dr. Alina Satmari, declared one of the 5 winning projects. On behalf of UVT, the award was raised by Dorin Miron, president of the Francophone Business Club in Timișoara and dr. Mădălin Bunoiu, UVT vice-chancellor.
Designed with care and creativity by an interdisciplinary team, this tactile atlas aims to provide blind people with access to complex geographical knowledge through a combination of tactile technology, Braille text and audio explanations. But it is not just a simple educational resource, but a tool that gives users autonomy and the opportunity to explore, learn and develop their cognitive skills independently and inclusively.
The initial sketches of the touch boards were made by dr. Alina Satmari and Fabian Leiba, also using models inspired by Monica and George Tudor. The data used are current, comply with the basic rules of cartography, but also those of the tactile economy, being designed to provide a clear and intuitive understanding, on a global and local scale, of geographical phenomena and processes. All the boards were then digitally processed by Ioana Satmari and Eric Szilveszter, students of the Digital Media specialization from UVT. The final layout of the boards was made by Fabian Leiba, student at KEA - Copenhagen School of Design and Technology.
Each plate has introductory explanations that guide tactile reading and help the user decipher the graphic content. These additional accessibility materials were created by Naidin Balint, Cristian Maistor and Tara Tripa, students of the Cartography specialization. In their continuation, a set of current scientific explanations and complementary to the drawing, ensures the independent and complex understanding of geographical problems represented tactilely. This was done by dr. Ana Ianăș, geographer specialist, with over 20 years of experience in teaching geography in the pre-university and university fields.
Quick access to the audio explanatory content of the atlas will be done by scanning the QR code inserted in each plate. It leads to the web pagewww.tactilelibrary.net, developed by Iulian Rotaru, student at the Informatics specialization.
The techno-editing and Braille formatting was done by Constantin Cristache, specialist professor in accessibility, who also provided the final proofreading of the texts. The voice of the audio material is Irina-Margareta Nistor, the audio editing was done by Daniel Secărescu.
The creation of the Tactile Atlas aimed to satisfy a real need and involved the collaboration between the academic (West University of Timișoara) and the private (Francophone Business Club of Timișoara and ATOS Romania) environment.
The project coordinator, Dr. Alina Satmari, stated: "This tactile atlas is an example of pedagogical innovation and accessibility. It not only responds to the need for educational inclusion, but opens new research perspectives in the field of tactile and multisensory education. Using the atlas in schools will allow visually impaired students to explore geography and actively participate in classroom lessons, thus supporting educational inclusion efforts. In addition, the material is also easy to use by teachers and parents, creating a diverse and collaborative educational environment. The Tactile General Geographic Atlas is more than an educational resource; it is a symbol of equal access to knowledge and a model for a world where every person, regardless of ability, has the chance to learn and develop. This atlas is a testament to the fact that education should not be an experience limited by disability, but an opportunity open to all. It can serve as a replicable model for other fields of knowledge, and its educational effect can generate a paradigm shift in how educational resources for people with special needs are designed, contributing to a more equitable and inclusive society."
The launch of the final version of the Tactile General Geographic Atlas will be at the Gaudeamus Book Fair – Romexpo, Bucharest, on December 8, 2024, in the presence of the team. All copies produced (over 200 volumes) will be donated to special schools in Romania, schools with blind students, museums, libraries and specialized faculties in the country.
