Exhibit Design Relating to Low Vision and Blindness Summary Report

Portable tactile maps

A variety of techniques have been used to produce portable tactile maps. Regardless of the technique employed, the major drawback of portable tactile maps is they lack a fixed point of reference, or a You Are Here marker. This is a crucial feature for someone trying to create a cognitive model of a complex environment and where they are within the context of the map. When the user is in motion, they have a difficult time knowing where they are at the moment, and which direction they may be facing. However, well-made tactile maps are useful for simple spaces, and drawn with limited tactile features. Some guides suggest the use of “no more than three distinct line types, three different textures and four or five point symbols, such as stairs and building entrances (Rowell and Ungar, 2003). Other rules of thumb include restrictions on crowding, and proper use of Braille labeling (Edman, 1992)” (Landau, 2010, p. 6).