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

Abstract

This article presents a pilot study conducted in Barcelona with blind and visually-impaired people. The aim was to analyze the use and efficacy of tactile maps produced by means of 3D printing. For this purpose, structured interviews were used, along with direct observation, the creation of cognitive maps and tasks with prototypes. The aim has been to examine the instrumental and communicative value of these products in terms of interpreting, memorizing and understanding a certain urban route, comparing this with experience in situ, focusing on the difficulties faced by the visually disabled when visiting new places. Findings show the utility of this type of technique in aiding visually disabled users to memorize routes. As a limitation, this study shows that tactile maps are not wholly efficient since they require verbal support, which makes it hard for them to be used autonomously.