Revue interdisciplinaire sur le handicap visuel
RIHV is an interdisciplinary journal on visual impairment. The review publishes research articles or practices contributions that help to enrich knowledge on visual impairment as well as promoting inclusive practices and accessibility in every aspect of life.
Research WITH children with visual impairments : Analysing children's roles and adult positioning in the participatory design of multisensory educational tools
This article analyses a participatory design process conducted with visually impaired children to develop a multisensory educational tool about emotions. It examines the roles children assumed throughout the design process, the methods used to elicit their perspectives, and the transformations of the tool during the workshops. The findings show that children successively occupied different participatory positions, ranging from users to informants depending on the project stage. Their contributions led to the abandonment of some initial design assumptions, the transformation of several activities, and changes in the role of others within the final version of the tool. The study also highlights that the quality of participatory design depends on appropriate material, methodological, and relational conditions, as well as on adult positioning. Adults' openness to children's proposals emerged as a key condition for meaningful co-construction.
Copyright (c) 2026 Dannyelle Valente, Virginia Kastrup https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Supporting self-assertion: Mathilde Petron reflects on her work as a psychologist with young women with visual impairments
n this interview, Mathilde Petron, a psychologist at the Institut des Déficients Visuels Les Primevères in Lyon, reflects on her career and how her work with adolescent girls with visual impairments has evolved over time. She shares her thoughts on how gender shapes the experience of disability, the social norms that young women may face, and the importance of creating group spaces that encourage self-expression and sharing. Drawing on her experience with the therapeutic group “Les 4 rigolotes à la canne blanche” (“The Four Fun-Loving Girls with White Canes”), she shows how play, laughter, and group dynamics can become powerful tools for building self-confidence and fostering empowerment.
Copyright (c) 2026 Mathilde Petron, Lola Chennaz https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Mal-voir : retentissement psychologique et accompagnement
Visual impairment is a condition with wide-ranging impacts, affecting perception, independence, social life, and psychological health. It often places individuals in a liminal identity space, neither fully sighted nor completely blind, weakening self-esteem and social interactions. Daily difficulties, unsuitable environments, and increased dependence reinforce isolation and insecurity. The Homère survey highlights particular vulnerability among individuals with moderate visual impairment, who report more difficulties while requesting less assistance, revealing a tension linked to the invisibility of the disability. Anxiety, depression, and feelings of loneliness are common. Certain conditions, such as nystagmus, exacerbate these impacts due to others’ perceptions and stress in visually complex situations. In this context, targeted psychological support appears essential to facilitate adaptation, restore self-esteem, and encourage the expression of often invisible subjective experiences.
Copyright (c) 2026 Anna Rita Galiano, Adrien Roussillon https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Improving aesthetic access to art for people with visual impairments: creation and aesthetic evaluation of 7 tactile adaptations at the Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts (MCBA) of Lausanne
This study focuses on adapting seven artworks from the Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts in Lausanne for individuals with visual impairments. While some museum adaptations provide perceptual access, they often fail to convey the aesthetic emotions elicited by the original artworks. This research aimed therefore to create tactile prototypes that offer an aesthetic experience comparable to that of the original works. The methodology unfolded in two phases; first, five professionals in the field and six adults with visual impairments selected the artworks and co-create the prototypes; second, these adaptations were evaluated through a qualitative approach — tactile exploration and feedback — and a quantitative approach using a questionnaire on aesthetic emotions. The results show that tactile adaptations often evoke emotions similar to those experienced with the original artworks. This research emphasises the importance of designing adaptations that go beyond descriptive information, fully integrating the emotional dimension of the artistic experience.
Copyright (c) 2026 Aurélia Isler , Dannyelle Valente, Lola Chennaz, Carolane Mascle, Marco Hessels, Edouard Gentaz https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Touch to Learn: Claudette Kraemer Reflects on Her Career as an Early Childhood Educator and Designer of Sensory Activities
In this interview, Claudette Kraemer recounts her committed professional journey as an early childhood educator at the IDS of the Phare Foundation and as a volunteer facilitator at Les Doigts Qui Rêvent. She explains how, from the very beginning of her career, careful observation of the child became the foundation of her pedagogy, leading her to design numerous educational sensory games and materials. Through concrete examples, such as the creation of the tactile book “Crokato, the animal that changes its skin” (published by Les Doigts Qui Rêvent), she illustrates an inclusive and participatory approach. The transcription of the interview was carried out in her home in Illzach by Dannyelle Valente.
Copyright (c) 2026 Claudette Kraemer, Lola Chennaz, Dannyelle Valente https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Spatial language in blind children: expressing location and motion without vision
This study compares the performance of blind and sighted children (6-11 years old) in the production and comprehension of spatial prepositions and motion verbs in French language. In both populations, performance was better in comprehension than in production and with prepositions than with verbs. Performance was better in the sighted than in the blind, although with prepositions this difference mostly concerned young children and gradually disappeared thereafter. With verbs, population differences decreased only at 11 years and never disappeared entirely. In both populations, but especially among blind children, performance was better with prepositions marking containment or implying a vertical plane than with those implying a sagittal plane, particularly with non-oriented entities. Performance was also best when verbs implied a vertical plane (ascend, descend). The discussion explores implications of these results in light of blind children’s performance.
Copyright (c) 2024 † Maya Hickmann, Nathalie Lewi-Dumont , Anna Rita Galiano, Marion Nys, Philippe Bonnet https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Blindness and other disabilities Blindness and other disabilities : a simple history of time
Among researchers whose visual abilities have been significantly altered (whether recognized as disability or not), certain individuals have obtained workstation adjustments (such as tools, assistance, and the like). These measures are intended to be sufficient to accomplish all the tasks required of a researcher. However, they feel a significant lack of time for fulfilling their work. I shall first delineate the significance of crip time in the professional lives of disabled researchers. Then, I will show how crip time is experienced in all spheres of activity. Therefore, disability cannot be understood without considering time impacts. I will then demonstrate that crip time plays a significant role in many people's lives, even if they are not disabled, and that it is necessary to take it into account for an inclusive and accessible world.
Copyright (c) 2024 Marion Ink https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
How to improve illustrations in children's books for children with visual impairments : Five adaptation strategies proposed or validated by research
Children with visual impairments need books that are adapted to their specific ways of reading and perceiving the world. The first part of this article presents a synthesis of studies examining the understanding of illustrations in children's books by these children. We then explore five design approaches for accessible illustrations brought or validated by research: 1) tactile explorations simulating real experiences of the body and hand, 2) highlighting relevant textures, 3) combining touch and sound through multimodal devices, 4) customizing illustrations according to the type of visual impairment, and 5) involving children and their caregivers in the creation of these illustrations. These promising approaches, supported by scientific data, pave the way for creating more inclusive children's books that better meet the needs and specific modes of exploration of these children.
Copyright (c) 2024 Dannyelle Valente, Carolane Mascle, Lola Chennaz, Anna Rita Galiano, Edouard Gentaz https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Editorial - Revue Interdisciplinaire sur le Handicap Visuel (RIHV)
Copyright (c) 2024 Dannyelle Valente , Edouard Gentaz https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Schooling for students with visual impairment and social participation
Most European educational systems are moving towards more inclusive schools. In France, this is reflected in the different types of schooling available to pupils with visual impairment, whether in regular or special settings. In this article, we focus on the effects of these schooling arrangements in terms of students' social participation and accessibility to the study of knowledge. Our data come from two research projects. The first aims to provide a national overview of Ulis TFV arrangements. The second studies the process of outsourcing a teaching unit that enables blind and partially-sighted pupils to attend elementary school. Those two studies show that schooling in a mainstream environment does not in itself guarantee the social participation of pupils, and that a systemic vision helps to identify certain obstacles.
Copyright (c) 2024 Frédéric Dupré, Esther Atlan , Caroline Treffé, Nathalie Lewi-Dumont https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Participatory research on visual impairment: Analysis of participation practices in the Homère study
Participatory research is particularly relevant in the field of disability because of its potential to improve the living conditions of the people concerned and to empower them. The aim of this article is to describe the implementation of the participatory process of the Homère study, an online survey designed to document the daily lives of visually impaired people living in France. A case-study approach, based on an analysis of the documents produced for the study, was used to describe the different steps of the study, and in particular the interactions between key actors and researchers. The results illustrate the added value of involving key actors, but also show the challenges of participatory research. The findings to recommendations that could be applied to other participatory studies.
Copyright (c) 2024 Caroline Pigeon, Dannyelle Valente, Nicolas Baltenneck, Gérard Uzan, Anna Rita Galiano https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Career choice and professional integration of young visually impaired people – applied research at the Fondation Asile des aveugles
The CPHV is a center of competence for vision and inclusion that works with visually impaired people in education, training and professional integration, through holistic care. It develops and promotes applied research activities in order to validate and improve services for its public, illustrated by two current research projects. The first aims to define the levers and obstacles to vocational guidance for visually impaired young people, while the second studies the development of socio-emotional skills and their implementation in educational practices.
Copyright (c) 2025 Aline Leavy, Lucien Panchaud https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Adapting the curriculum for visually impaired pupils: the needs expressed by teachers in french speaking Switzerland
The education of students with visual impairment (VI) represents challenges in terms of the accessibility of school curricula. Due to their visual limitations, their needs are different, and teachers must adapt teaching resources to meet the basic expectations of current curricula, which are designed for students with vision. This study aims to assess the priority disciplinary needs of teachers in French-speaking Switzerland to adapt the Plan d'études romand (PER) to students with VI. To this end, a sample of 54 teachers completed an online questionnaire. A mixed method of data analysis revealed that their priority needs concerned mathematics.
Copyright (c) 2025 Sophie Zufferey https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Development of socio-emotional skills in people with visual impairments
Socio-emotional skills (SES) play a crucial role in an individual's life. Several studies suggest that children with visual impairments encounter difficulties in developing these skills. The aim of this article is to explore how vision influences the development of SES and to analyze the impact of visual impairment on this process, as well as its repercussions on the social, emotional, and adaptive functioning of individuals with visual impairments.
Copyright (c) 2025 Lola Chennaz, Aline Leavy https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Developing emotional abilities in children with visual impairments: co-design and evaluation of the innovative multisensory program Emoti’Sens
This study evaluates the implementation of the pilot program Emoti’Sens, designed to support the development of emotional abilities in children with visual impairments through multisensory activities. Eight children with low vision (ages 8–11) participated in the study, supported by six professionals in collaboration with the research team. The program was assessed in terms of acceptability and usability through questionnaires and interviews, as well as its potential effectiveness through four emotional tasks conducted with each child before and after the intervention. The results reveal strong engagement with the program from both the children and the professionals, who found it useful and well adapted. The children particularly remembered the tactile activities. Findings from this exploratory study indicate an improvement in the children's emotional skills, suggesting that Emoti’Sens is a promising resource for addressing emotions in children with visual impairments.
Copyright (c) 2025 Dannyelle Valente, Lola Chennaz, Edouard Gentaz https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Taking their place in middle school : relational experiences and social participation of former students with visual impairments
School inclusion cannot be reduced to pedagogical accessibility ; it also encompasses social experiences and encounters with otherness. Interstitial spaces — recess, lunch breaks, between-classes moments, corridors — play a central role in shaping peer relationships. Yet, if middle school represents a pivotal stage in the development of youth sociability, what about students with disabilities — and more specifically those with visual impairments — and their social participation ? Drawn from doctoral research, this exploratory study examines their relational experiences and questions the actual scope of inclusion : does it truly abolish symbolic boundaries, or does it recompose new, subtler ones between a valued « us » and a relegated « them » ? By taking this step aside, the study sheds light on the shadowed areas of school inclusion and invites us to rethink a form of schooling genuinely oriented toward others.
Copyright (c) 2025 Jean François Poulelaouen, Omar Zanna, Cendrine Mercier https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Practices of tactile graphics adaptation among professional transcribers
The adaptation of images into tactile graphics is a key issue for improving the accessibility of visual representations for people with visual impairment. This study explores the professional practices of transcribers through a survey conducted in collaboration with the Association des Transcripteurs Adaptateurs Francophones. The survey aims to characterize the requests and the steps involved in creating tactile graphics. The method is based on the collection of quantitative and qualitative data through an online questionnaire distributed to francophone transcribers. The results reveal several challenges: insufficient transmission of essential information at the request step, difficulties in analyzing the content of complex images, and a lack of user feedback and proofreading of adaptations. The study highlights similarities between tactile graphic adaptation practices and instructional design. Finally, recommendations are proposed to improve practices.
Copyright (c) 2025 Théophile Vier, Christophe Jouffrais, Julie Lemarié https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Portrait of the "Livre Atelier" Association and Its Sensational Trunks. Interview with Cathie Guignardat by Dannyelle Valente
In this interview, Cathie Guignardat presents a portrait of a French association, Le Livre Atelier, and its inclusive projects dedicated to children with visual impairments. A program of workshops accompanied by "Sensational Trunks" offers a multisensory approach to learning, enabling children to acquire specific knowledge (e.g., prehistory, zoology) through narrative and hands-on workshops. Over the course of the workshops, each child creates tactile objects themselves, producing tangible traces of the sessions, which they store in an individual and personalized "Sensational Chest." This individual chest is a valuable tool for reactivating memories and concepts through haptic perception.
Copyright (c) 2025 Cathie Guignardat , Dannyelle Valente https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Biographie de Yvette Hatwell : Son rôle crucial dans les recherches sur le développement cognitif des enfants aveugles
Cet article texte présente la biographie de Yvette Hatwell, professeure émérite puis professeure honoraire à l'Université Pierre Mendès France de Grenoble. Ses recherches novatrices sur les capacités cognitives des enfants aveugles lui valent une reconnaissance notable. En 1975, elle fonde et dirige le Laboratoire de Psychologie Expérimentale à l'Université Pierre Mendès France de Grenoble, façonnant le paysage de la psychologie cognitive en France.
Copyright (c) 2024 Edouard Gentaz https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0