PARSONS SCHOOL OF
DESIGN PRESENTS:

Rama Deshpande

Creative technologist | Play and Experience Designer
Rama is a creative technologist and designer from India, building engaging and interactive experiences to create a meaningful social impact.

While her professional work has focused on UX/UI and content design, her expertise extends to game design, alternative controls, fabrication, physical computing and soft circuits. Her practice aims to bring together the digital and physical worlds and create personable and embodied experiences.
Rama is a creative technologist and designer from India, building engaging and interactive experiences to create a meaningful social impact.

While her professional work has focused on UX/UI and content design, her expertise extends to game design, alternative controls, fabrication, physical computing and soft circuits. Her practice aims to bring together the digital and physical worlds and create personable and embodied experiences.
Thesis Faculty
Sven Travis, Dan Taeyoung, Loretta Wolozin, Barbara Morris

Hands-on Health

Educational tools to teach children with visual impairments about anatomy in the context of sexual health

Hands-on Health

Hands-on Health kits are a set of “press-and-play” educational tools created to teach children with visual impairments between the age of 12 and 14 about anatomy and physiology in the context of sexual health and well-being. Understanding how your body works is an important step in feeling safe and comfortable about the changes that bodies go through during adolescence.

Since it is not possible to use images, diagrams and other visual aids while teaching children with visual impairments, it is important that they get a sense of space about the internal anatomy through the learning experience created by these tools. This is why, the Hands-on Health tools provide a set of organ-shaped puzzle pieces to be assemble in their appropriate place with the help of a guided audio and tactile interface.

Female anatomy kit pieces, top and bottom sides
How It Works?

The children receive the pieces and the base of one anatomical system at a time. The base has raised outlines to be able to feel and follow the shapes of each organ. It also has braille text labels for each organ.

Any audio output device like a speaker or headphones can be connected to the jack on the side using a 3.5mm auxiliary cables.

Once the red button is pressed, the experience will start with an audio introduction that guides them to the first organ. As they place each organ, the audio will give an explanation about the functions of that organ and guide them to the next one, thus giving a detailed overview of each anatomical system.

Male anatomy kit, pieces assembly in process

The kit uses bright red color pieces for a high contrast with the white base, making it suitable for children with low-vision. The different textures on each piece are for easy differentiation of each piece.

Inside: Adafruit Arduino SoundBoard with connections
Details: Braille and texture details on the pieces and base
The Future

Hands-on Health kits can be expanded to create educational tools for different anatomical systems to help children with visual impairments learn about human biology. With slight modifications, they can be also used to help teach children with other learning needs.

This project completed in collaboration with Jnana Prabodhini’s Institute of Psychology in Pune City, India, as a part of their “Olakh Sparshachi”(Introduction to Touch) movement. This movement helps children between the ages of 7 and 14 to learn and understand sexual health, privacy, adolescence, reproduction, sexual abuse, consent, and safety.