Putting Tools in Hands

Abstract

Blind and low vision learners are underrepresented in STEM and maker culture, both of which are historically inaccessible. In this paper we describe our experience conducting a three-day nonvisual soldering workshop and discuss the opportunities and challenges for designing accessible electronics curricula. Workshop attendees learned nonvisual soldering skills, adapted from publications for blind and low vision electronics professionals [4, 13, 18], while building a complex circuit. We detail our curriculum design and its complexities for learners with different levels of technical experience and learning modalities. While our instruction pacing proved challenging for some, all attendees succeeded with operating hot soldering irons and commanding basic soldering techniques over the course of three days. Based on our findings, we provide recommendations for educators wanting to design similar nonvisual STEM curricula and workshops. These include supplying tactile and textual instruction to support multiple learning styles and pacing, and standardizing workshop materials to support nonvisual hands-on learning for novices.