معرفی
Natalina Martiniello is an Associate Professor in Visual Rehabilitation at the School of Optometry, Université de Montréal. She specializes in braille accessibility, rehabilitation for visual impairments, and inclusive technologies. Her research emphasizes user-centered approaches, drawing from her expertise as a blind researcher and certified vision rehabilitation therapist.
- Affiliations: CRIR (Montreal Metropolitan Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation Research Center), Vision Science Research Network (VSRN), International Council on English Braille (ICEB)
- Education: PhD in Vision Science (2020), Postdoc in Psychology (2023), McGill University BA (2012)
Research Interests: Her work focuses on braille literacy for adults, aging-related tactile challenges, assistive technology evaluation, and systemic barriers faced by visually impaired individuals in academia and employment. She leads projects funded by FRQS and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Key Contributions: Developed evidence-based braille training guidelines, pioneered tele-rehabilitation protocols for orientation mobility, and co-designed inclusive conference accessibility frameworks. Her advocacy extends to equity initiatives in academic libraries and STEM participation for disabled scholars.
- Grants: $250k for braille device selection indicators (2024), $180k for global deafblind case studies (2025)
- Labs/Teams: Leads the Braille & Aging Research Lab at Université de Montréal, collaborates with the INLB (Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille)
