Map Use by Adults with Visual Impairments

Abstract

In this paper we summarize five experiments that were designed to investigate how tactile maps contribute to the cognitive maps of people with visual impairments. In two experiments we demonstrated that tactile maps can contribute to peoples' ability to learn a route through an unfamiliar area. From the results of two further studies, we argue that compared to people with sight, people with visual impairments have greater difficulty encoding information from a map. We considered this directly in a fifth experiment by investigating how people with visual impairments search and learn a map. We found that they used less efficient strategies than people with sight. We conclude that tactile maps are an important source of geographical information when people need to learn about new environments, but we also point out that to benefit most from tactile maps people need to encode the map information as effectively as possible. As people with visual impairments do not always use the most appropriate encoding strategies we suggest that tactile map users might benefit from greater experience and training in map encoding strategies.

Accessible presentation of information for people with visual disabilities

“…In particular, Ungar et al [18,[202][203][204][205][206][207][208][209][210][211][212][213][214][215] conducted several research projects regarding the exploration and encoding of information on tactile maps by blind individuals.…”

Tactile Graphics Rendering Using Three Laterotactile Drawing Primitives

“…These are particularly important in education where visually-impaired students must have access to the same information as their sighted peers [1,10]. They can also provide information which would be difficult to grasp from direct experience of the environment or from verbal descriptions [3]. Tactile graphics produced on physical media, however, are typically bulky and often deteriorate with use.…”

Visual Impairment and urban orientation. Pilot study with tactile maps produced through 3D Printing

“…En segundo lugar, cabe constatar la utilidad de los mapas en relieve para el aprendizaje de un recorrido urbano (Blades, Ungar & Spencer, 2010;Lillo, 1992;Spencer & Travis, 1985), teniendo en cuenta, tanto los mapas cognitivos realizados (Tarea 4), como la aparente facilidad con la que han realizado el recorrido real los Usuarios B y C (Tarea 5). Por otro DISCAPACIDAD VISUAL Y ORIENTACIÓN URBANA lado, el hecho de que mediante únicamente ayuda verbal descriptiva un itinerario similar lo realicen con ayuda de un acompañante entre 4 y 6 veces y que con un aprendizaje previo mediante planos táctiles, finalmente, lo hayan realizado en menos ocasiones, indica que estos dispositivos sirven también para reducir el tiempo del aprendizaje in situ, aunque para ello haya que invertir tiempo una sesión previa de exposición a los planos táctiles urbanos.…”

“…Hay que señalar que la utilidad de este tipo de dispositivos, en lo relativo a planos en relieve para facilitar la movilidad, orientación espacial y la autonomía de usuarios invidentes y con deficiencia visual, queda fuera de duda según diversos estudios (Blades, Ungar & Spencer, 2010;Lillo, 1992;Spencer & Travis, 1985). Por regla general estos estudios se relacionan, por un lado, con el concepto de wayfinding (Golledge, 1992), como la ruta aprendida necesaria para la orientación de las personas y, por otro, con el concepto de mapa cognitivo o representación mental del entorno (Jacobson, 1998).…”