Stories without boundaries. Tactile illustrated books and self-narrative in adults with intellectual disabilities.

Semi-residential services for adults with disabilities risk becoming “neverlands” and prone to “identity flattening”. Narratives often follow the “diagnostic paradigm”, with educators relying on the medical model as emotional self-consolation. This project explores whether these services can serve as spaces where people with disabilities have the opportunity to share personal stories by using specific narrative mediators. Among these tools, tactile illustrated books (TIBs) are selected as a potentially effective medium. Originally developed for children with visual impairments, TIBs have evolved into sophisticated multisensory objects. Touch plays a vital emotional and relational role and can stimulate autobiographical memory, making TIBs promising for self-expression.