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

• Jaume Gual ^[1] ; Marina Puyuelo ^[2] ; Joaquim Lloverás ^[2] ; Lola Merino ^[3]
  1. [1] Universitat Jaume I

     Universitat Jaume I

     Castellón, España

     
  2. [2] Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya

     Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya

     Barcelona, España

     
  3. [3] Universidad Politécnica de Valencia

     Universidad Politécnica de Valencia

     Valencia, España

     

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• Localización: PsyEcology: Bilingual Journal of Environmental Psychology / Revista Bilingüe de Psicología Ambiental, ISSN-e 1989-9386, ISSN 2171-1976, Vol. 3, Nº. 2, 2012 (Ejemplar dedicado a: Espacios Urbanos y Sostenibilidad), págs. 239-250
• Idioma: inglés
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  • 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.