Abstract: An educational device for teaching or self-teaching the manual alphabet of the deaf to anyone, especially to the blind and/or deaf and for communicating among such persons is disclosed. A plurality of three-dimensional, actual size cast or molded figures of the human hand mounted on a base and each formed in a respective letter of the manual alphabet comprise an instructional kit for teaching the manual alphabet. Each hand figure is provided thereon with embossments of the Braille character and, preferably, the English alphabet letter corresponding to the manual alphabet letter represented by such figure. Another embodiment comprises statues or figures of human beings depicted in various poses communicating with each other by sign language with Braille characters and English alphabet letters affixed on the pedestal of the statues.

Abstract: An orientator, for enabling visually handicapped persons to examine objects having projecting details, such as a relief illustration, comprising a grid structure for overlaying the object, having tactilely identifiable reference points distributed thereon, and means for holding the grid structure in a spaced relationship from the object. The tactilely identifiable reference points may define, for example, sectos of a circle or rectangle, or both.