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Thread: Accessibility and geographical maps
Number of posts in this thread: 11 (In chronological order)
From: COLLIER, Jason
Date: Sun, Jan 20 2013 8:08PM
Subject: Accessibility and geographical maps
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Hi,
Where I work we have lots of geographical maps that contain a lot of data. Does anyone know about best practices for providing an alternative format for maps?
Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Jason Collier
Website Project Officer. Communications and Marketing
Department of Mines and Petroleum
100 Plain Street, East Perth, WA, 6004
Postal: 100 Plain Street, East Perth, WA, 6004
Tel +61 8 9222 3070
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From: Birkir R. Gunnarsson
Date: Mon, Jan 21 2013 5:43AM
Subject: Re: Accessibility and geographical maps
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Hi Jason
I am not sure what solutions have generally been provided mind, but
the emphasis for making maps and other graphs accessible lies in the
SVG format.
There is a lot of work going on with respect to creating
tactile/auditory feedback maps (see, for instance,
http://www.viewplus.com/products/software/hands-on-learning/
There is also on-going work to translate SVG graphs into sound (though
it would probably not work so well for maps).
I am not sure to what extent you could convert large sets of existing
data into maps, nor how useful they would be to the end users, but the
path towards multi-sensory exploration of graphs definitely seems to
go through SVG.
Also it is,of course, important to use the text to express as much
relevant information as possible to the end-users (add stats or point
out the locations where x y and z are found in text, at lesat the top,
may be, 5 or so, not just refer to the map for all info).
May be some other folkshave a better idea, and I will be watching this
thread with interest myself, but this is a start.
Cheers
-Birkir
On 1/20/13, COLLIER, Jason < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Where I work we have lots of geographical maps that contain a lot of data.
> Does anyone know about best practices for providing an alternative format
> for maps?
>
> Any information would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Jason Collier
> Website Project Officer. Communications and Marketing
> Department of Mines and Petroleum
> 100 Plain Street, East Perth, WA, 6004
> Postal: 100 Plain Street, East Perth, WA, 6004
> Tel +61 8 9222 3070
> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = <mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> www.dmp.wa.gov.au<;http://www.dmp.wa.gov.au/>;
>
>
> DISCLAIMER: This email, including any attachments, is intended only for use
> by the addressee(s)
> and may contain confidential and/or personal information and may also be the
> subject of legal privilege.
> If you are not the intended recipient, you must not disclose or use the
> information contained in it.
> In this case, please let me know by return email, delete the message
> permanently from your system and destroy any copies.
>
> Before you take any action based upon advice and/or information contained in
> this email you should
> carefully consider the advice and information and consider obtaining
> relevant independent advice.
> > > >
From: Robert Jaquiss
Date: Mon, Jan 21 2013 9:29AM
Subject: Re: Accessibility and geographical maps
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Hello:
Providing map data accessibly is a big subject. The closest solution
there is for this problem comes from ViewPlus Technologies. Their website
is: www.viewplus.com A Tiger embosser is used to emboss a paper copy of the
map. A few braille labels can be placed on a braille map. It is possible
with lots of work to use a touch tablet so users can touch a place on a map
and hear what they have touched. It is possible for a user to zoom in a map
by specifying a region, and then have the Tiger print out that region in a
full page version. This process can iterate several times.
Another possible solution is available from Touch Graphics. Their web
site is www.touchgraphics.com. The TouchGraphics system uses vacuum formed
plastic maps and either a touch tablet or pen to provide the user
information. The Touch Graphics approach is only useful if many copies of
the same image will be needed. You may contact me off list for more
information.
Regards,
Robert
Robert Jaquiss
Email: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
From: Jake Joehl
Date: Mon, Jan 21 2013 10:09AM
Subject: Re: Accessibility and geographical maps
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What about the Audio Graphing Calculator from Viewplus Technologies?
I've never used it but I've heard it demonstrated. Would this be
another alternative?
Jake
Original message:
> Hello:
> Providing map data accessibly is a big subject. The closest solution
> there is for this problem comes from ViewPlus Technologies. Their website
> is: www.viewplus.com A Tiger embosser is used to emboss a paper copy of the
> map. A few braille labels can be placed on a braille map. It is possible
> with lots of work to use a touch tablet so users can touch a place on a map
> and hear what they have touched. It is possible for a user to zoom in a map
> by specifying a region, and then have the Tiger print out that region in a
> full page version. This process can iterate several times.
> Another possible solution is available from Touch Graphics. Their web
> site is www.touchgraphics.com. The TouchGraphics system uses vacuum formed
> plastic maps and either a touch tablet or pen to provide the user
> information. The Touch Graphics approach is only useful if many copies of
> the same image will be needed. You may contact me off list for more
> information.
> Regards,
> Robert
> Robert Jaquiss
> Email: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
>
From: Birkir R. Gunnarsson
Date: Mon, Jan 21 2013 11:25AM
Subject: Re: Accessibility and geographical maps
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I have not tested the Audio Graphing Calculator much, but I am pretty
sure it would not in any way work for displaying maps.
And, in any case, I guess that is a different discussion altogether.
I think trying to keep all relevant information in the text, and move
towards the use of SVG for displaying graphs/maps and such is the best
way to go for content providers. This is one of the tricky areas, of
course, and I am actually curious to see what progress is on-going at
CSUN this year. I'll post back, either directly to the original poster
or the list, when I come back, if there's interest.
Cheers
-B
On 1/21/13, Jake Joehl < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> What about the Audio Graphing Calculator from Viewplus Technologies?
> I've never used it but I've heard it demonstrated. Would this be
> another alternative?
> Jake
> Original message:
>> Hello:
>
>> Providing map data accessibly is a big subject. The closest solution
>> there is for this problem comes from ViewPlus Technologies. Their website
>> is: www.viewplus.com A Tiger embosser is used to emboss a paper copy of
>> the
>> map. A few braille labels can be placed on a braille map. It is possible
>> with lots of work to use a touch tablet so users can touch a place on a
>> map
>> and hear what they have touched. It is possible for a user to zoom in a
>> map
>> by specifying a region, and then have the Tiger print out that region in
>> a
>> full page version. This process can iterate several times.
>
>> Another possible solution is available from Touch Graphics. Their
>> web
>> site is www.touchgraphics.com. The TouchGraphics system uses vacuum
>> formed
>> plastic maps and either a touch tablet or pen to provide the user
>> information. The Touch Graphics approach is only useful if many copies of
>> the same image will be needed. You may contact me off list for more
>> information.
>
>> Regards,
>
>> Robert
>
>> Robert Jaquiss
>> Email: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
>
>
>
>>
From: Robert Jaquiss
Date: Mon, Jan 21 2013 4:07PM
Subject: Re: Accessibility and geographical maps
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Hello:
The audio Graphing Calculator (AGC) from ViewPlus Technologies is only
useful for displaying graphs generated by equations or for displaying data
points.
Regards,
Robert
From: Ron Stewart
Date: Mon, Jan 21 2013 7:34PM
Subject: Re: Accessibility and geographical maps
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I would also look at the Phoenix from Enabling Technologies and MathTrax
which is a free product. It really depends on what you are trying to
accomplish, there is no silver bullet here. ViewPlus is having some
organizational problems that at this point are causing me to recommend not
going with their solutions. They are good, and I had a bit to do with some
of their development so this is somewhat hard to say.
Ron Stewart
From: Stanzel, Susan - FSA, Kansas City, MO
Date: Tue, Jan 22 2013 10:01AM
Subject: Re: Accessibility and geographical maps
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Do any of you know accessibility aids or workarounds for dealing with GIS (Geospatial Information Systems)?
Susie Stanzel
From: COLLIER, Jason
Date: Tue, Jan 22 2013 10:24PM
Subject: Re: Accessibility and geographical maps
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Thanks Birkir,
I like your idea of presenting the top 5 or so stats - maybe add a note to call someone in the department for further info if required.
I was also thinking that since the information for some maps is based on table data, that maybe breaking the table into smaller tables and using them as alternate sources might work.
I'll bring up the feedback maps idea at our next meeting. This could be the ideal solution if it's not too complicated or costly :)
Thanks again!
Jason
Tel: +61 8 9222 3070
ext 23070
From: COLLIER, Jason
Date: Tue, Jan 22 2013 10:27PM
Subject: Re: Accessibility and geographical maps
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Sounds really cool! Not sure I'll convince my bosses to go that far, but we'll see :)
Jason
Tel: +61 8 9222 3070
ext 23070
From: Birkir R. Gunnarsson
Date: Wed, Jan 23 2013 4:29PM
Subject: Re: Accessibility and geographical maps
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Hi Jason
Glad you've found this discussion useful.
Large data tables can work quite well, provided they are properly
marked up (column and row headers). Offering Excel spreadsheet as an
alternative format often works, as Excel is both very useful and
accessible for all types of data work, and those who would request
downloads of this type of info are probably comfortable using Excel.
At least, if you have the sheets and you can allow users to download
them, it is definitely one way to increase accessibility to your data.
At least I always download all my banking info in the Excel format (I
used Excel as a risk analyst for years, though I must point out both
banks I worked for went under, talk about accessibility issues, lol,
of course I also should point out I left the banks before they went
under).
-B
On 1/23/13, COLLIER, Jason < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Sounds really cool! Not sure I'll convince my bosses to go that far, but
> we'll see :)
>
> Jason
> Tel: +61 8 9222 3070
> ext 23070
>
>
>
>