New Esri Book Explores How Tactile Maps Provide Essential Context for People Who Are Visually Impaired

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Esri, the global leader in location intelligence, has published Tactile Mapping: Cartography for People with Visual Impairments, a collection of expert-written chapters, case studies, and user stories demonstrating cartography for greater accessibility by people who are visually impaired.

Tactile maps offer greater independence and inclusion for people who are blind, yet much of the research done in this area has remained inaccessible to a broader audience. Tactile Mapping: Cartography for People with Visual Impairments bridges this gap by exploring the subject from a multidisciplinary perspective, illustrating cartographic theory with real-life case studies and user stories.

A collaboration by skilled professionals, domain experts, and people with visual impairments, Tactile Mapping is an introduction to the field for cartographers and other geographic science practitioners. Readers will gain new insight from three perspectives: user experience, scientific research, and practical implementation. Topics include:

• The role of maps in shaping perception of the world
• Best practices in tactile map design, including an understanding of tactile perception
• The need for map design processes to be user centered
• Different output media for tangible maps and geographic models

The new book is written by Dr. Vincent van Altena, a senior researcher at Kadaster (Netherlands), and Dr. Jakub Wabiński, an assistant professor at the Military University of Technology in Warsaw, Poland. Tactile Mapping explains and demonstrates how mapmakers can become and are being intentional and inclusive with their designs.

Tactile Mapping: Cartography for People with Visual Impairments is available in print (ISBN: 9781589488359, 120 pages, US$54.99) and as an ebook (ISBN: 9781589488366, US$54.99). Both editions can be obtained from most online retailers worldwide. Interested retailers can contact Esri Press book distributor Ingram Publisher Services.

About Esri

Esri, the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence, and mapping, helps customers unlock the full potential of data to improve operational and business results. Founded in 1969 in Redlands, California, USA, Esri software is deployed in hundreds of thousands of organizations globally, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, nonprofit institutions, and universities. Esri has regional offices, international distributors, and partners providing local support in over 100 countries on six continents. With its pioneering commitment to geospatial technology and analytics, Esri engineers the most innovative solutions that leverage a geographic approach to solving some of the world’s most complex problems by placing them in the crucial context of location. Visit us at esri.com.

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