A inclusão de estudantes cegos e com baixa visão no ensino de geografia e história: mapa tátil e interativo em português e braille

Abstract

Inclusive education, as a guiding principle for promoting equal opportunities, seeks to ensure that all students have full access to knowledge and develop educational skills, regardless of their physical or sensory limitations. In this context, the implementation of accessible pedagogical resources becomes essential, especially those aimed at meeting the needs of students with visual impairments, including blindness and low vision. This dissertation aimed to investigate the effectiveness of developing and applying an interactive tactile map in Portuguese and Braille for teaching Geography and History to visually impaired students in an inclusive school. Initially, a literature review was conducted to understand the state of knowledge regarding the use of interactive tactile maps in the educational context. Subsequently, a prototype representing the Political Map of Brazil was developed, encompassing the five major regions and the compass rose. The research was conducted through face-to-face meetings involving teachers specializing in Special Education and eight visually impaired students from different educational levels: elementary school (12 to 16 years old), high school (17 to 25 years old), and higher education (45 years old), all linked to the Specialized Educational Assistance Center- Visiaudio. Methodologically, the study is characterized as a qualitative, descriptive, and applied research approach. The central objective was to evaluate the pedagogical effectiveness of using interactive tactile maps in Portuguese and Braille in the teaching of Geography and History, considering aspects such as learning, social interaction, spatial understanding, and the cognitive and sensory development of the participants. The results indicated that the use of interactive tactile maps significantly favored the understanding of the content, promoting greater autonomy, engagement, and participation of students in school activities. It was also observed that the resource was well accepted by the participants, who demonstrated interest and active involvement in the learning process. It is concluded that the implementation of interactive tactile maps constitutes an effective pedagogical strategy for promoting inclusion, contributing to the strengthening of learning and accessibility in the teaching of Geography and History. Finally, the research reinforces the importance of continuous investment in assistive technologies in the context of inclusive education.