Our Story
Tactile Tiles Ltd started with a problem Matthew Bernal (UK) couldn't stop thinking about.
As a SEND teacher with over a decade of experience, Matthew watched students with visual impairments and complex communication needs struggle with the same fragile, inconsistent tools: laminated symbols that faded, tore, and meant nothing to a child who couldn't see them. The technology existed to do so much better. So he built it.
Working from Cheshire, Matthew developed a range of 3D printed tactile communication symbols - durable, washable, and designed from the ground up for the hands and minds of the learners who need them most. Each tile carries a raised symbol, a consistent orientation notch, and a thoughtful design rooted in real classroom practice.
Today, Tactile Tiles Ltd offers over 400 symbols, customisable from 5cm to 20cm, and used by schools, therapists and families across the UK. Products include individual tiles, curated symbol sets, communication boards, and digital STL licences for settings with their own 3D printing capability.
Alongside Matthew is Abby Jones — SEND Teaching Assistant, specialist in CVI (Cortical Visual Impairment), and holder of a Masters in Psychology. Abby brings both academic rigour and hands-on classroom insight to every product decision, ensuring our resources genuinely serve the children and adults who use them.
We follow the principles behind organisations like RNIB and TSBVI, and everything we make is guided by one question: does this actually help?
Matthew Bernal — Founder, SEND Teacher (10+ years), product designer
Abby Jones — Co-founder, SEND TA, MSc Psychology
Tactile Tiles Ltd is based in Cheshire, UK.