Tactile river of life

Purpose

The tactile river of life is based on the river of life as described by Howard (2024), but with the adjustment of using physical (three dimensional) materials to model experiences, rather than to draw them.

The approach involves firstly the creation of a river, which reflects individual experiences, and secondly group discussion where experiences are shared and commonalities/differences are discussed.

Tactile materials are used to create a river, which is used as a metaphor to show participant experiences over time in relation to a particular theme, for example getting a job (Wickenden & Thompson, 2023) or becoming a researcher (Thompson, 2025). Participants then add features to their river (e.g. tributaries, rough waters, rocks, flowers, fish, etc.) to represent both positive and negative experiences, a significant issue, or a time that was particularly challenging. Participants should be encouraged to assign their own meanings to the materials they are using.

As with the regular river of life approach (based on two-dimensional drawings), this method can help to access and communicate personal experiences and facilitate group dialogue around the issues that the groups themselves identify.

Tactile rivers of life may be useful for practitioners and researchers who want to:

• Generate dialogue and reflection on experiences, enablers, influences and barriers or challenges.
• Discuss experiences of inclusion/exclusion.
• Appreciate personal experiences.
• Identify and discuss the reasons behind the enablers and challenges.
• Identify strategies for change.

The advantage of the tactile river of life is that it allows for participants to reflect on their personal experiences and express themselves through creative modelling. The method removes the dependence on writing or drawing and encourages expression through touch, sound, and verbal storytelling. The key benefits of this approach is that it is inclusive of participants with disabilities (particularly those who are blind/visually impaired), and that it is suitable when working with participants with low levels of literacy (Thompson & Rakib 2025). This method is culturally flexible, and can be adapted across settings to suit local experiences and understandings.

Things to consider

The most important things to consider when using the tactile river of life are inclusivity and flexibility.

Moussa (2009) explains that for many people the metaphor of life as a ‘pathway’ or ‘roadway’ may work better than a ‘river’. If the research is being undertaken in an arid or desert region – or even in urban environments – where rivers are not part of the lived experience, then it may be sensible to change the metaphor to something more appropriate. Flexibility may be needed to see which approach will resonate best with your participants.

Skilled facilitation is needed for this activity to work well. Including adequate time for orientation and set-up is essential. Verbal instructions should be provided instead of relying on printouts, flip charts or visual slides.

Some participants may need encouragement to take part. Arts based/creative methods can be seen by some as childish, particularly if you are working in formal settings. Reassurance may need to be given that this is a legitimate research approach with a purpose. Participants may need to be kept on track. It can be easy for time to pass quickly once participants are engaged making their rivers/roads/pathways. It may be appropriate to give regular time updates verbally (e.g., “10 minutes left before we come back together”).

Enough time needs to be given for them to express their experiences, but not too much time as their creations may lose meaning. Care is needed when the group comes back together to ensure everyone has the chance to speak to their creation. Both dominant and more reserved participants may need to be carefully managed to ensure everyone has space and time to contribute.

This method is particularly well suited to participants who have low literacy levels and have communications challenges.

Any space can be used for the tactile rivers of life, but it works well when tables are available to ensure the creations are not stood on by accident, which may cause unnecessary upset. If necessary, participants should be consulted on what can be done to support mobility and safe navigation of the space being used.

There may be some costs associated with buying materials, but if budget is an issue, materials can be sourced from the local area (e.g. stones/sticks/leaves etc). Materials can also be recycled (e.g. strips of cloth, cardboard, bottlecaps etc). You can use your imagination and adjust depending on what materials are available.

This method is participatory as although everyone makes their own river, the group comes back together to listen to the experiences of each participant, noting common themes and shared happenings.

This approach can improve inclusivity of people with disabilities, and is particularly suitable for blind/visually impaired participants. However, it is important to ask participants for their preferred approach. It might be that a participant with visual impairment is comfortable to use a regular river of life process (e.g. drawing with pens and pencils).

It may be inappropriate for one participant to work on a tactile river of life, if the rest of the group are working on their rivers in two dimensions, as this may result in the first participant feeling excluded or ‘othered’. In this scenario, it may be more inclusive to get all the participants to produce tactile rivers of life.

Practical steps

Step 1 – Preparing

• If working with people with disabilities, partnering with an Organisation of Persons with Disabilities (OPD) can improve the planning process as they can advise on accessibility. If appropriate, participants with disabilities (and/or their families) should be asked directly about any adjustments that could improve inclusion and accessibility.
• Consent should be sought from participants to take part. They should be provided adequate information to allow them to make an informed decision about this and given the time to ask questions. Participation should be voluntary, and participants should be informed that it is fine for them to withdraw consent and stop participating at any time.
• It is important to manage expectations at the start of the process. Participants should understand how they will contribute and should feel comfortable to participate. Participants must understand the time commitment. They also must be briefed that reminiscing on past experiences (particularly relating to exclusion) can resurface trauma. Support or referral pathways should be in place as appropriate.
• If guides or family members are going to be present, it is important that they are briefed in their role, which is to support the participant (with their consent) to create a representation of their experience. They can assist with accessing materials but should not interfere with the creative process. It can be tempting for others who are not participating to fiddle with materials, which may distract from the activity – this may require careful facilitation.
• An adequate and accessible space needs preparing such as a large room with tables, with enough space for each participant’s creation.
• Sufficient materials should be provided to each participant. These can be any tactile crafting materials. Plasticine and pipe cleaners work well, but sticks, leaves, stones or strips of cloth can also be used depending on what is available. Get creative!
• You could prepare your own tactile river of life (real or made up) as an example for what to do. Remember, this will need to be presented verbally and through touch.

Step 2 – Creating

• The central theme of the investigation or the research question should be introduced to the participants (or for larger/longer research programmes, the participants may select this themselves). Asking about experiences over a given time works well (e.g. “Between when you left school and today, can you please use the materials to illustrate your experiences of becoming a researcher?”. The river is used a metaphor for the passing of time, but a road, or path works just as well depending on the context.
• You can add in sub-questions (e.g. “Use the materials to signify major turning points in your research career”).
• Once the task is set, ask the participants if there is anything they need to make the exercise more inclusive.
• It is important to state the time available to complete the task (and give an update on how much time has elapsed/is left at regular intervals).
• It may help to give participants some examples and draw on your prepared tactile river of life as needed.
• Ideally each participant should work individually, even if they have shared experience with other participants. The river represents their own personal experiences.
• Make sure the participants know that they will have to speak to their creation when everyone is finished and the group comes back together.

Step 3 – Presentation and analysis

• The group comes back together and each participant presents their creation (whether it is a river, a road or just a sequence of objects or symbols).
• It is important that all participants listen. This may need skilful facilitation as there is often the temptation for participants to carry on creating while another participant is speaking. Participants should listen out for common and different factors.
• Once everyone has presented, the group can be invited to identify key points (e.g. challenges, enablers etc).
• If appropriate, the group can be asked to deepen their discussion on key points, in a bid to further develop understandings about causes and consequences.
• The next step is to ask the group what could be done to bring about change? This may relate to an individual, a situation, or many other factors.
• Discussions, strategies and actions should be documented.

Following up

Validation exercises can be planned to ensure that the research findings accurately reflect the experiences of participants.

If this method is being used as part of a larger/longer participatory research project, you may want to plan future activities to dig deeper into the findings/themes to emerge, or to suggest solutions or action to address challenges raised.

Mini case studies

The tactile River of Life was used to explore the experiences of early career researchers (ECRs) at a skills workshop held at Stellenbosch University, South Africa in 2024 as part of the Arts and Humanities disability inclusive development networks programme (Thompson, 2025). The approach allowed the ECRs (some of whom were blind or visually impaired) to express their research journey to date, and their pathways towards a career as an arts and humanities researcher. Plasticine and pipe cleaners were used by participants to create representations of different stages in their journey. They used the materials to model various aspects of their experience, such as time spent studying, or work experience. They also used the materials to show barriers and/or enablers they had experienced. Guides assisted participants to locate the materials, and to say which colours were available, but apart from that, participants worked independently to create their representations and then speak to them.

A variation of the tactile River of Life was used as part of the Disability Inclusive Development programme in 2023 to elicit experiences of learners with disabilities in Bangladesh as part of a skills initiative (Wickenden & Thompson, 2023). Here, participants with severe/complex disabilities (including deafblindness) used plasticine and pipe cleaners to model their place of work with assistance from family members or carers. A partner OPD provided support to ensure that the methods were suitable for and inclusive of the participants. The participants used the materials to represent various aspects of work, including their daily routine, as well as what they liked or did not like. When it was time to discuss experiences, participants who were non-verbal communicated about their creations through tactile sign-language with the family members/carers, who then vocalised their stories (Thompson & Rakib 2025).