More Than a Puzzle
Tactile Literacy
Interpret information through touch
Spatial Awareness
Explore how pieces fit together and relate to one another
Attention
Focus on tactile details and the relationships between pieces
Braille Literacy
Some puzzles incorporate braille to encourage reading
Fine Motor Skills
Manipulate and position individual puzzle pieces
Cognition
Use problem-solving and reasoning skills to complete puzzle
Tactile literacy? A few years ago I had never heard this phrase. To me, a puzzle was just a fun, no-tech way to pass the time. What I didn't know, and am still learning, is how an individual with a visual impairment uses the art of touch to better understand the world around them. A picture isn't just something to be seen with the eyes and admired, it's something to be touched, experienced, and explored. The better someone becomes at distinguishing different tactile elements, the more they learn. As I try to bring images to life through my puzzles and help people who are blind to "see" pictures as I do, I am also learning how to "see" images as they do through the sense of touch. I'm learning to think beyond what an image looks like and consider how it feels - by incorporating tactile elements such as textures, patterns, continuous lines, braille, and shapes. This has become more than making puzzles accessible - it's about sharing perspectives, expanding understanding, and learning from one another.
Why InsightAble Puzzles?
Designed for Touch
1
Feel
Explore the puzzle pieces and consider their unique shapes and tactile features
2
Build
Interlocking shapes and continuing tactile elements help you determine which pieces fit together
3
Discover
As the puzzle comes together, discover the emerging image through touch
Mona M. (NV)
“I have never been able to do a jigsaw puzzle my entire life, because I am blind and the pieces were not tactile so I couldn’t feel what and where the puzzle pieces go. Thanks to you I am able to do jigsaw puzzles now. I get so excited when I put the puzzles together. In fact, I have just finished the dog puzzle, the giraffe puzzle, and the space shuttle puzzle. It makes me feel so good and challenged to do the puzzles that you have created. I love the puzzles that you have extended my excitement, and my enthusiasm towards finishing, and completing something that I have never been able to do my entire life. I want to thank you so much for being creative and doing these puzzles. I can’t wait to order some more puzzles. You have done a great job and changed my life. Yes, you have changed my life. Because I can do something that I have never done before, thank you.”
Jose B. (TX)
“Prior to meeting Maureen, I had no concept of what a jigsaw puzzle was. While I’m sure there were ways to make an existing puzzle accessible, there is just something great about having a puzzle that already has tactile features on it, plus braille labels. Maureen taught me a new hobby, and I have also shown these puzzles to school aged children, and they enjoy the fact they’re accessible, and can put one together independently. I am grateful for InsightAble puzzles, and their accessible way to create a jigsaw puzzle for the blind.”
Dan H. (Tactile Art Instructor, Colorado Center for the Blind)
“I am pleased to offer this letter of support for Maureen Handwerker and her innovative work developing InsightAble Puzzles. As a tactile art instructor at the Colorado Center for the Blind, I have worked amid Maureen's growth since 2022. Her dedication to creating accessible, engaging, and meaningful recreational experiences for individuals with blindness and low vision is infectious.
Over the past four years, Maureen has regularly visited my tactile art classroom, bringing prototypes of her 3D-printed puzzles for students to explore, evaluate, and critique. What began as an opportunity to gather feedback has blossomed into a wonderful friendship rooted in mutual respect, creativity, and a shared commitment to accessibility. My students represent a wide range of age, backgrounds, visual experiences, and tactile abilities, providing Maureen with diverse perspectives that have helped inform the continued development of her puzzles.