Tactile image books are incredible: they're books in which all the pictures are made up of different objects, shapes and textures, specifically designed to be explored by touch. They let children who have little or no sight enjoy picture books just like sighted children do, and help them build up valuable touch skills which will be useful for navigating life without vision, especially if they might learn braille. They can be made of fabric, collage, 3D printing, plastic vacuum-formed round real objects, and in many other ways.

The Typhlo and Tactus International Tactile Book Competition is held every two years to encourage tactile book creation across the world. This year, judging will take place in Italy in October, with a prize of 500 Euros for the overall winner. ClearVision will be holding the UK judging round in September. Up to five books will be selected and submitted to the international judging.

This brilliant contest is free to enter and open to anyone- whether it's your first try at making a tactile book or your twentieth! We've had great entries in past years from parents, artists, teachers, stitching groups, crafters and students. The judges will be looking for books which are exciting and entertaining for children up to age 12 who have little or no sight, and are strong enough to take enthusiastic exploring by touch.

If you're interested in entering a book, the application form can be found here and the full rules here. Hurry though, the deadline for books to be at the ClearVision library is 29^th August 2021.

For more information on designing and making a tactile book, please see our videos below and visit our Making Tactile Books webpage for the basics.

You can find the website of the Typhlo and Tactus competition, with information about previous winners, at www.tactus.org. If you have questions, please contact ClearVision on info@clearvisionproject.org or 020 8789 9575.

Tags: tactile books, Tactus competition, Typhlo and Tactus