Elia V. Chepaitis, Andrew Chepaitis, Reed DeWinter, and Hosea Jan Frank, ELIA Life Technology (Brooklyn, New York, USA, founded 2000); Embossed print; Courtesy of ELIA Life Technology

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0307, Elia Frame Tactile Writing System, 2000–16

A tactile panel depicts Elia Frame, a tactile alphabet whose characters are based on Latin letters. Elia letters are presented here alongside Latin and braille equivalents. The Elia text is printed in several sizes. Elia Frames is readable at multiple sizes, whereas braille typically employs a single font size. User testing suggests that Elia Frames are easier to learn than braille, and may be helpful to people who lose their vision later in life. This tactile writing system was conceived by Elia Chepaitis and further developed by her son Andrew Chepaitis and his team at ELIA Life Technology.

Elia V. Chepaitis, Andrew Chepaitis, Reed DeWinter, and Hosea Jan Frank, ELIA Life Technology (Brooklyn, New York, USA, founded 2000); Embossed print; Courtesy of ELIA Life Technology

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This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition The Senses: Design Beyond Vision.

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<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/1159162261/ |title=0307, Elia Frame Tactile Writing System, 2000–16 |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=19 April 2024 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>