  Teachers of the visually impaired (TVIs) regularly present tactile materials
(tactile graphics, 3D models, and real objects) to students with vision
impairments. Researchers have been increasingly interested in designing tools
to support the use of tactile materials, but we still lack an in-depth
understanding of how tactile materials are created and used in practice today.
To address this gap, we conducted interviews with 21 TVIs and a 3-week diary
study with eight of them. We found that tactile materials were regularly used
for academic as well as non-academic concepts like tactile literacy, motor
ability, and spatial awareness. Real objects and 3D models served as "stepping
stones" to tactile graphics and our participants preferred to teach with 3D
models, despite finding them difficult to create, obtain, and modify. Use of
certain materials also carried social implications; participants selected
materials that fostered student independence and allow classroom inclusion. We
contribute design considerations, encouraging future work on tactile materials
to enable student and TVI co-creation, facilitate rapid prototyping, and
promote movement and spatial awareness. To support future research in this
area, our paper provides a fundamental understanding of current practices. We
bridge these practices to established pedagogical approaches and highlight
opportunities for growth regarding this important genre of educational
materials.
