Instant Tactile-Audio Map: Enabling Access to Digital Maps for People with Visual Impairment

Zheshen Wang, Baoxin Li, Terri Hedgpeth and Teresa Haven

Eleventh International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2009)
Pittsburgh, PA, USA, October 26-28, 2009

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Abstract

In this paper, we propose an automatic approach, complete with a prototype system, for supporting instant access to maps for local navigation by people with visual impairment. The approach first detects and segments texts from a map image and recreates the remaining graphical parts in a tactile form which can be reproduced immediately through a tactile printer. Then, it generates an SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) file, which integrates both text and graphical information. The tactile hardcopy and the SVG file together are used to provide a user with interactive access to the map image through a touchpad, resulting in a tactile-audio representation of the original input image. This supports real-time access to the map without tedious conversion by a sighted professional. Evaluations with six users who are blind show that the created tactile-audio maps from our prototype system convey the most important map information and are deemed as potentially useful for local navigation.