Creating Outdoor Digital Maps Accessible to Blind Users

Date & Time

Friday, March 17, 2023 - 1:20 PM PST  

Location

Grand AB  

Description

Digital accessible non-visual maps have traditionally been described through alternate text, presented in a table, presented as a list of nearby locations to an address, or given as turn-by-turn directions. The problem with these methods is geographic information (the main content of the map) is completely lacking or significantly diminished in these methods. For instance, users can't answer "What clockface direction is the entrance from the elevator?" Audiom is a digital web-based non-visual map viewer that can accurately represent dynamic geographic/spatial information non-visually. Audiom can be embedded next to an existing visual map on any app or website, and in many cases use the same data source as the visual map. The Audiom interface is a text-based and auditory virtual reality interface only requiring headphones to view. The user can move an avatar using a gesture e.g., up arrow to move north or left arrow to move west a user-defined distance, and can hear sounds representing different objects on the map through 3D audio. The process for obtaining an Audiom map is: 1) Work with the Audiom team to process the data to make sure it contains the required elements; 2) Get the data into Audiom through the Audiom server or passing it to the embedded map; and 3) View and test the map in your site/app. Audiom can currently represent any outdoor space e.g, neighborhoods, parks, campuses, transit routes, and building complexes.  

Audience

• Higher Education
• Disability Specific
• Government
• Entertainment & Recreation
• Transportation

Audience Level

Beginning  

Session Summary (Abstract)

Learn how to make a complex geographic map on your app/website accessible to blind users with Audiom, the world's most inclusive map viewer. Any outdoor location map can be made accessible with this auditory and text-based virtual reality interface.  

Primary Topic

Blind/Low Vision  

Secondary Topics

• Digital Accessibility
• Emerging Technologies
• Leisure & Travel
• Mobility

 

Session Type

General Track  

Presenter

• Christopher Toth
  Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute

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