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Question on tactile maps (self.Blind)
submitted by daidai_suki
I am a sighted person who has been exploring online and on this subreddit on this subject for a while now! I find the concept of a tactile tool interesting and full of potential. I did this studying in order to be a respectful researcher; I have heard that many people tend to expect to get all of their questions answered by bothering other people for a completed answer instead of doing the work themselves. Thus, I have provided links of just a small number of sources where I have gathered my information to inquire about this subject.
However, there are a couple of questions that I still have which I have been unable to discover answers for myself; if anybody has knowledge about this technology and my curiosities about it that they are willing to share, I would be incredibly grateful.
Is a tactile map useful for unfamiliar outdoor areas? I know that $1 has added a 'descriptive audio' feature to Google Maps, which may or may not be useful for navigation outside and in streets. I was wondering if a tactile map helps with O&M on the go. I know that tactile maps can be useful as references to indoor areas such as business and schools and provide an abundance of info on one's surroundings and environment, but is there a possibility that they can be used outdoors?
A study that I discovered (the link to which is the first in the list below) stated that a tactile map has quite a number of flaws according to information provided by participants in a survey (only 4 participants, who were 13% of the people surveyed, stated that they had used a tactile map to find their way to a destination; half of them made it to their destination, while the other half did not, as the map caused them to miscalculate a few distances). However, the study doesn't describe the overall experience that one has while using a tactile map, or why other ATs are sometimes more desirable over it. What is your personal opinion on tactile maps?
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A handful of links to the material I used to figure out what a tactile map was and various techniques to create one:
$1 \- a research paper on indoor navigation and a couple of arising challenges despite our current technology
$1 \- a guide on creating a basic tactile map
$1 \- company creating high-quality tactical graphics
$1 \- another guide to more detailed information on tactile maps (such as scales and the introduction of swell paper, a type of paper used to create detailed tactile graphics; also explains map generation)
$1 \- 2 different studies. The Sheffield study is significantly more important to me, as it states that people who used different map reading tactics knew how to get more information from a tactile map.
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Thank you for reading this post! It took me a while to do this research and am glad that I was able to finish it and put it up, even if nobody feels inclined to respond. Have a good day!
However, there are a couple of questions that I still have which I have been unable to discover answers for myself; if anybody has knowledge about this technology and my curiosities about it that they are willing to share, I would be incredibly grateful.
Is a tactile map useful for unfamiliar outdoor areas? I know that $1 has added a 'descriptive audio' feature to Google Maps, which may or may not be useful for navigation outside and in streets. I was wondering if a tactile map helps with O&M on the go. I know that tactile maps can be useful as references to indoor areas such as business and schools and provide an abundance of info on one's surroundings and environment, but is there a possibility that they can be used outdoors?
A study that I discovered (the link to which is the first in the list below) stated that a tactile map has quite a number of flaws according to information provided by participants in a survey (only 4 participants, who were 13% of the people surveyed, stated that they had used a tactile map to find their way to a destination; half of them made it to their destination, while the other half did not, as the map caused them to miscalculate a few distances). However, the study doesn't describe the overall experience that one has while using a tactile map, or why other ATs are sometimes more desirable over it. What is your personal opinion on tactile maps?
​
A handful of links to the material I used to figure out what a tactile map was and various techniques to create one:
$1 \- a research paper on indoor navigation and a couple of arising challenges despite our current technology
$1 \- a guide on creating a basic tactile map
$1 \- company creating high-quality tactical graphics
$1 \- another guide to more detailed information on tactile maps (such as scales and the introduction of swell paper, a type of paper used to create detailed tactile graphics; also explains map generation)
$1 \- 2 different studies. The Sheffield study is significantly more important to me, as it states that people who used different map reading tactics knew how to get more information from a tactile map.
​
​
Thank you for reading this post! It took me a while to do this research and am glad that I was able to finish it and put it up, even if nobody feels inclined to respond. Have a good day!
KillerLag 2 points 2y ago
I've made a few tactile maps before (mostly for my local subway system), and have done some experiments with 3D printed tactile maps.
I find they generally work to give someone a rough idea of how things are related to each other (how far across the city certain stops are, how many stops between subway stations), but it is almost impossible to get the scale correct for the map as a cohesive whole. For example, say you wanted a map of how to get from home to a friend's house. The subway map tells you the stops, but then you might need a separate map to navigate the subway itself (possibly more if it is a multi-level subway station). Then you would need a map of the streets to navigate along the streets, identifying which streets you pass. However, the street map would likely not have the specific detail to get directly to your friend's house (cramming 20 houses into a small area would make it difficult to count). And a landmark would not be on scale on that map (for example, a fire hydrant would be a speck on a block-sized map. Making it larger would likely take up the equivalent area of a house on the map).
They still have their uses. I've made some tactile maps of odd intersection layouts, so people learn the streets don't line up exactly at 90 degrees (or are offset). I've used tactile maps with models of cars for clients so they can learn how traffic flows, how cars can drive on the right, and how the turns are different.
I find they generally work to give someone a rough idea of how things are related to each other (how far across the city certain stops are, how many stops between subway stations), but it is almost impossible to get the scale correct for the map as a cohesive whole. For example, say you wanted a map of how to get from home to a friend's house. The subway map tells you the stops, but then you might need a separate map to navigate the subway itself (possibly more if it is a multi-level subway station). Then you would need a map of the streets to navigate along the streets, identifying which streets you pass. However, the street map would likely not have the specific detail to get directly to your friend's house (cramming 20 houses into a small area would make it difficult to count). And a landmark would not be on scale on that map (for example, a fire hydrant would be a speck on a block-sized map. Making it larger would likely take up the equivalent area of a house on the map).
They still have their uses. I've made some tactile maps of odd intersection layouts, so people learn the streets don't line up exactly at 90 degrees (or are offset). I've used tactile maps with models of cars for clients so they can learn how traffic flows, how cars can drive on the right, and how the turns are different.
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