Do you have access to a 3D printer? If so, you can download the below STL files for free and print them!
The National Archives and All Able Ltd have embarked on a pilot project to create tactile alternatives for a selection of our records. The National Archives wants everyone to be able to engage with our records and the history they represent. This project has been focussed on creating tactile alternatives to support wider SEND engagement. Teachers might also want to use tactile document models like these in a variety of learning situations.
These models were developed by George Rhodes for our Sensing the Archives workshop, aimed at blind and visually impaired students. You can learn more about the workshop and how these models were used in this blog post. You can find more of George’s work at All Able and Make Things Accessible.
Information for printing
These 3D printable alternatives are utilising new 3D tactile conversion research from All Able to make producing tactile diagrams more accessible. We have shared the files for these tactile alternatives for anyone to download and hope that they find use in supporting others to interact with our records.
As the production method is still experimental, we cannot guarantee that these 3D prints will work with every printer or for every user. All Able have tested the files for printing with both UV resin and extrusion style 3D printers, but the files may require some modifications, slicing or other changes to ensure successful prints.
If you have any questions about these tactile formats, need help printing or have any other feedback, please contact info@allable.co.uk
A student from New College Worcester exploring a tactile model at The National Archives.