Monarch is Making a Difference: The Tactile Graphic Image Library

The Tactile Graphic Image Library (TGIL) is the American Printing House’s free online database full of tactile images ready for download. The database contains over 2,000 editable images created with the intention of easy use for teachers, students, and transcribers. After creating a free account, users can download images to edit, enhance, or use as they are. The TGIL provides users with unprecedented access to images that can expand tactile knowledge.  

For Monarch users, the TGIL is loaded right onto their device. With a refreshable braille display, tactile images are able to be seen in an extraordinary way. The Monarch’s zoom function means that any Monarch user can explore a tactile graphic in a detailed and thorough way. Navigation allows anyone using the Monarch to focus in on different parts of a graphic, making the possibility of learning much greater.  

Thanks to the Monarch, the TGIL has experienced major growth in use and downloads, making it much easier for students and Monarch users to learn at an accelerated pace. In a traditional classroom setting, students who are blind or low vision are taught 8-10 new tactile graphics on average each year. Whereas their sighted peers are being exposed to hundreds of new shapes and images. For student development, orientation, and understanding of the world around them, this puts students who are blind or low vision at a significant disadvantage. With greater access to the TGIL, students of any vision level have the opportunity to explore thousands of new images, bridging the gap for students and their peers.  

In 2023, there were 2,237 images downloaded from the Tactile Graphic Image Library from Monarch users. In 2024, that number grew to 16,640 images. Meaning, the TGIL use by Monarch users increased by 740% from 2023 to 2024. This growth can likely be attributed to our Monarch Student Pilot Program. Having Monarchs in the hands of students, thanks to the help of dedicated parents and teachers, has led to an exponential increase in student exposure to tactile images, and this number is still growing. As of April 21st, Monarch downloads for 2025 have already reached 6,384 images. This number is 35% higher than downloads at this time in 2024. APH is thrilled to see the way that Monarch users have embraced this new level of access to tactile images. 

These numbers are expected to continue to climb to unprecedented levels. With the release of eBraille to the Monarch Student Pilot Program, which is expected at the beginning of the next school year, tactile graphics will be easier for students to incorporate into their daily lives than ever before. “We are really pleased at the high number of students who are accessing content in the TGIL, especially given that eBraille has not yet launched. We do anticipate that things will really take off this fall,” said Nicole Gaines the National Director of Digital Access Initiatives at APH.  

None of this would have been possible without the hard work and dedication of teachers and TVIs throughout the Monarch Student Pilot Program. This teacher appreciation week, we cannot talk about the success of the Monarch without acknowledging the hard work that has gone into learning new technology, teaching students, and embracing this program to ensure student access to the Monarch.