Researchers at the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Optometry have shown that the new ELIA® Tactile Alphabet is easier for seniors to learn and faster for them to read than standard Braille or the raised Roman alphabet.

In a study published earlier this year in Visual Impairment Research (Taylor & Francis, publisher), a peer-review journal for rehabilitation professionals, researchers reported that blindfolded seniors, after 30 hours of study, read letters in words nearly twice as fast with the ELIA® Tactile Alphabet than with the raised Roman alphabet. Furthermore, the subjects were over ten times faster reading letters in words with ELIA than with standard Braille. Statistical analysis showed that in the final word reading testing, the correct letter per minute reading speeds were significantly higher with ELIA as compared to Braille and the raised Roman alphabet.

The researchers tested the ELIA® Alphabet and the Roman alphabet at four font sizes (1.0 cm, 1.1 cm, 1.2 cm and 1.3 cm) and found that ELIA was easier to read at all four font sizes than the Roman alphabet and easier to read than Braille, which was tested at its standard size (0.7 cm) and standard letter spacing. In the study, researchers also found that presenting letters closer together and within the context of words had a positive effect on the ELIA® Alphabet and the Roman alphabet groups and a negative effect on the Braille group.

"Today, there are 1.1 million seniors who are legally blind, less than 1% of whom (8,000 people age 65 and over) can read Braille," said Andrew Chepaitis, president of ELIA Life Technology, the firm that designed the ELIA® Alphabet. "That number is projected to double by the year 2030, which will seriously strain our society, mainly because over 70% of legally blind seniors have difficulty completing essential daily living tasks."

To assist a legally blind senior, a caregiver - either a family member or paid home-care worker - needs to provide an average of 4 hours of care a day, 365 days a year. "An easy to learn and use tactile alphabet would be an essential independence tool for the visually impaired," Chepaitis added, "enabling them to complete daily activities independently and achieve a higher quality of life. We're pleased that the ELIA® Alphabet is a viable option for them."

Given the reading speeds achieved by ELIA® Alphabet readers in the study, in subsequent testing and in pilot programs at the SUNY College of Optometry and the Jewish Guild for the Blind, ELIA Life Technology is providing ELIA® Alphabet labels and texts to visually impaired New Yorkers and will soon be distributing ELIA across the country.

The research was made possible by the generous support of the Langeloth Foundation, a New York foundation focused on promoting innovative approaches to health and well-being.