Developing Tactile Maps for Students with Visual Impairments: A Case Study for Customizing Accommodations

Autor/inn/en	Feucht, Florian C.; Holmgren, Chelsea R.
Titel	Developing Tactile Maps for Students with Visual Impairments: A Case Study for Customizing Accommodations
Quelle	In: Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 112 (2018) 2, S.143-155 (13 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0145-482X
Schlagwörter	Visual Impairments; Blindness; Tactual Perception; Media Adaptation; Learning Modalities; Academic Accommodations (Disabilities); Case Studies; Semi Structured Interviews; Visually Impaired Mobility; Braille; Maps; Undergraduate Students; Student Attitudes; Preferences; Safety; Qualitative Research; Content Analysis; Observation; Ohio + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Visual handicap; Sehbehinderung; Blindheit; Taktile Wahrnehmung; Medienverwendung; Lernumgebung; Case study; Fallstudie; Case Study; Map; Karte; Schülerverhalten; Sicherheit; Qualitative Forschung; Inhaltsanalyse; Beobachtung
Abstract	Introduction: The authors of this study evaluated the necessary features of tactile maps to provide independent, efficient, and safe travel across a university campus; and a process for developing tactile maps based on user needs and preferences. Methods: Participants who have low vision provided input, through interviews and field tests, regarding which features were critical for a tactile map. The four-phase development and research design process included: phase 1, semistructured interviews about campus navigation; phase 2, creating draft maps using two different tactile media--microcapsule or braille embossed lines; phase 3, fieldtesting maps through site visits with participants; and phase 4, finalizing the map. Four undergraduate students with low vision participated in phases 1 and 3 to assess their experiences in navigating a campus; and the collected data were used in phases 2 and 4 to create, revise, and finalize the content, layout, and medium of the map. Results: Three of the participants preferred microcapsule lines to braille embossed lines, while one participant stated the usefulness of both media. The four-phase process allowed customization of local maps for individual users. Discussion: Map features that contribute to readability and efficacy of use include the medium; the layout; the combination of orientation maps, which provide an "overview" of a large area; and mobility maps, which contain more detail and are designed to help the traveler in unfamiliar areas (James, 1982). Implications for practitioners: Colleges and universities should gather data and create tactile campus maps for students with low vision or blindness following the four-phase process used during this study. Although the data show that the map's medium is a matter of personal preference, several features are essential to creating a map with maximum readability. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	American Foundation for the Blind. 11 Penn Plaza Suite 300, New York, NY 10001. Tel: 800-232-5463; Tel: 212-502-7600; e-mail: afbinfo@afb.net; Web site: http://www.afb.org/store
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01