Mathematics for all: a Game-Based Learning Environment for Visually Impaired Students

Visually impaired students who reach higher education have a preference for human sciences. The difficulties felt with courses such as mathematics, during their school years, may lead them to abandon the possibility of pursuing higher education in exact sciences and engineering courses. We propose a game-based learning environment that can be used in class and at home by visually impaired students. The game was developed for middle school mathematics but can be adapted for primary school and secondary school. The main goal of the game is to help and motivate blind teenage students to learn and like mathematics. The graphics are designed for low vision students but to guarantee accessibility to blind students, the game can be played without the need to see the graphics. All the features are complemented with audio and the game uses 2D spatialized audio. Having graphics also contributes to the integration of visually impaired students with their sighted colleagues. The game was tested in two schools with blind and low vision children. Both teachers and students were very enthusiastic with the game and gave us very positive feedback. The results of the test suggest that the game can have a positive influence in mathematics performance.