Elements of Touch: Periodic Table

Story Behind the Invention

Inventor Faustina Lee Smith of Savannah, GA has created a tactile instructional tool for studying the periodic table.

Doctor Smith suddenly found herself teaching college chemistry to a blind student with no resources available for either of them. She spent days online searching for educational tools to use, in particular a periodic table, but came up emptyhanded. Later, at a fundraiser for a blind child, she found inspiration in a neighborhood exhibit. The exhibit used felt and other textured items for the street and sidewalk, and raised dots for pedestrian crossing areas. Smith thought, Thats it! and headed to a craft store in search of scrapbooking materials like letters and numbers with raised profiles or different textures, and puffy paint. This was just the first step in the development of her invention, the Elements of Touch: Periodic Table!

By using this instructional tool, visually impaired students in introductory or higher-level chemistry will be able to study atomic numbers, chemical symbols, family groupings, and energy levels through their sense of touch. This will be a great resource for visually impaired students and their teachers, as it will promote a better understanding of chemistry and lead to higher test scores.

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