Many of our maps and mapping processes do not consider nor involve persons with disabilities. People with visual impairment, hard of hearing and mobility challenges also need these tools to live a normal life. In cartography, accessibility can be improved by making tactile maps and inclusive digital maps which are significantly helpful for persons with disabilities.
Accessibility is the word used to describe whether a place, service or product can be used by people of all abilities and disabilities. For example, a train or website is accessible if all people, including non-disabled, disabled and elderly people can use it. People with disabilities (PwDs) face challenges in moving around seamlessly due to barriers created by the society. Accessibility translates to the removal of barriers in accessing places, products and services. Persons with disabilities also experience challenges in accessing education, healthcare, employment, finance and basic needs of life. Accessibility gives everyone (able and disabled) the same opportunity. Common area barriers include mobility, auditory, neurological, cognitive, medical, and psychological. According to the United Nations over one billion people live with disabilities. The reality is that more people will have some form of disability in the future either temporarily or permanently. Increase in forms of disability can be attributed to old age, ill health, mental disorders, physical deformity, accident and armed conflict. Since we know disability is on the rise, it is important that accessibility takes precedence across the world, as soon as possible. Research has shown that people with disabilities don’t consider themselves as being unhealthy; therefore, making map products and cartographic services accessible goes a long way to enable PwDs move around with minimal assistance.
Abstract
Accessibility is the word used to describe whether a place, service or product can be used by people of all abilities and disabilities. For example, a train or website is accessible if all people, including non-disabled, disabled and elderly people can use it. People with disabilities (PwDs) face challenges in moving around seamlessly due to barriers created by the society. Accessibility translates to the removal of barriers in accessing places, products and services. Persons with disabilities also experience challenges in accessing education, healthcare, employment, finance and basic needs of life. Accessibility gives everyone (able and disabled) the same opportunity. Common area barriers include mobility, auditory, neurological, cognitive, medical, and psychological. According to the United Nations over one billion people live with disabilities. The reality is that more people will have some form of disability in the future either temporarily or permanently. Increase in forms of disability can be attributed to old age, ill health, mental disorders, physical deformity, accident and armed conflict. Since we know disability is on the rise, it is important that accessibility takes precedence across the world, as soon as possible. Research has shown that people with disabilities don't consider themselves as being unhealthy; therefore, making map products and cartographic services accessible goes a long way to enable PwDs move around with minimal assistance. However, many of our maps and mapping processes do not consider nor involve persons with disabilities. People with visual impairment, hard of hearing and mobility challenges also need these tools to live a normal life. In cartography, accessibility can be improved by making tactile maps and inclusive digital maps which are significantly helpful for persons with disabilities.
Keywords : accessibility, accessible maps, tactile maps, inclusive cartography, disability geography
1. Introduction
Accessibility is the removal of barriers in accessing places, products and services. People with disabilities face challenges in moving around like non-disabled people. They also experience challenges in accessing education, healthcare, employment, finance and basic needs of life. Accessibility gives everyone (able and disabled) the same opportunity. Common areas of barriers include mobility, auditory, neurological, cognitive, medical, psychological and others (Chouinard, 2015).
There are about 1.3 billion people with some form of disabilities around the world (WHO, 2011). It is about the population of India or the combined population of United States, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan and Nigeria. According to the World Health Organization over 28 million persons or about 15 percent of Nigeria's populace have a disability. The report indicates that persons with disabilities (PwDs) lack access to basic services and inclusive policies are unavailable, weak, or inadequately implemented. Most people with disabilities face numerous human rights abuses such as discrimination, stigma and violence. Persons with disabilities also lack access to housing, healthcare and education (World Bank, 2020). Consequently, there is an urgent need to improve the current socioeconomic situation of persons with disabilities in Nigeria.
The United Nations resolved to end the discrimination against disabled persons by creating an international law to ensure that they are adequately protected globally. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was drafted in 2006 following decades of call to action. On 30th March 2007 over 80 United Nations Parties or States, including Nigeria, signed the document which later came into effect on May 3, 2008. Currently, 177 countries have ratified the convention thereby agreeing to promote equal opportunities for PwDs (CRPD, 2006).
On January 23, 2019, the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act (DAPDA) received presidential assent, making it law in Nigeria. The discrimination prohibition act of 2018 is federal accessibility legislation. Its stated purpose is to achieve full integration of PwDs into the society by 2040, in line with the UNCRPD. The Act gives powers to the Government of Nigeria, the National Commission for People with Disabilities, and PwDs to take legal actions to advance inclusion in public life, employment, education, health, physical environment, transportation, politics, technologies, communication, the design and delivery of programs, products and services. Specifically, Part V of the act provides for free education for persons with disabilities and for all institutions to be inclusive including its curricula and skills for communication.
Despite the international and local laws, persons with disabilities continue to face discrimination in public life especially in education. Majority of students with disabilities in Africa are denied the opportunity to study technical courses. When it comes to cartography, maps can be a big barrier for students and users with disabilities; more sadly, maps and cartographic products are utterly useless for visually impaired users in Nigeria because they are not accessible.
In other parts of the world, inclusive cartography and accessible maps have been integrated into the system including in schools where the teaching of geography using tactile maps has recorded success since 2005. Africa, with a higher population of persons with disabilities can reduce the discrimination gap by making accessible maps for all users.
Accessible Maps focuses on outlining standards and guidelines for making maps and geographical data usable by all; how these resources should be made accessible and how cartography could provide a valuable source for assistive features for persons with disabilities. Inclusive cartography examines assorted techniques to make visual maps accessible to users with visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, deafness or elderly people (WCAG, 2002).
In this paper we examine issues related to making maps accessible as well as possible techniques and devices for achieving inclusive learning. The discussion in this paper could enhance innovative ideas on how to recreate maps and cartographic products for persons with disabilities in Nigeria. It is our believe that this would create a new thematic area for Nigerian Cartographers Association, going forward. Additionally, feasible solutions for designing a map truly accommodating will be suggested.
2. Materials and Method
In respect to traditional maps, reading the details could be a herculean challenge for the visually impaired. A blind student surely would not be able to read a topographic or planimetric map in the classroom. Whereas maps with poor colour contrast would not appeal to users with colour deficiency. Tactile or 3D map version would be ideal for blind users (Buzzi, et al 2011). The features on the map may not be detailed but the major information which are represented with raised dots texts, sound and symbols would make significant meaning for visually impaired users. Tactile maps are maps made of raised surfaces that persons with visual impairment can touch and understand them. The map features are raised and embossed on paper or other materials. Tactile maps are usually called braille atlas. Tactile photos, diagrams and graphics are used to convey non-textual information like paintings, diagrams and graphs.
Tactile maps and digital maps can greatly increase opportunities for people with disabilities. Currently, there are no standard for making tactile maps, which means that each map could employ various symbols and textures. Nevertheless, there are some guidelines that rely on the uniqueness of the tactile methodology (Brock et al, 2012). Generally, some best practices for inclusive maps would take account of consistency and simplicity in styling, sufficient colour contrast, text-based alternative for images and Braille features for non-sighted users.
Making digital maps accessible takes various things into consideration. These include the purpose(s) of the map. For example, is the map for educational, tourism or general purpose? Digital graphic maps could be web or mobile based. Althoug they come in handy for navigation, most of them do not factor in features that are helpful for persons with disabilities. Static and real time maps, in order to be inclusive, must provide accessibility in terms of font size, audio, colour contrast and screen reader compatibility. In terms of web or mobile based maps, developers would have to comply with the World Wide Web Consortium Standards. Google Maps are probably the most accessible digital maps existing today.
Inclusive cartography must also go beyond colour to convey meaning by using textures, icons, labels, and shapes; using colours that pass contrast minimum standards and are colourblind safe.
3. Discussion
As earlier mentioned, Maps can be used for various purposes, such as finding a target or exploring the surroundings, or for educational aim, such as understanding shapes and distances. Typically tactile maps are used to illustrate and explain educational content such as geographic maps, geometric data, schemes and so on. Depending on the purpose, the maps can be designed and developed in diverse ways. Inclusive interactive maps could show directions, ramps, elevators, escalators, restrooms, wide doors, signage, public address systems, braille, notice boards and dedicated parking spaces.
3.1 Tactile Maps
Tactile maps are images which are specially created to be touched rather than viewed. Conventional maps can be recreated into tactile graphics. This does not mean that visual maps can be automatically converted to tactile maps. There are a different ways to produce tactile maps (Gardiner & Perkins, 2011). Visual maps need to be redesigned to make sense in a tactile form for the unsighted because touch sense woks in a more serial manner than the visual sense (Habel, Kerzel & Lohmann, 2010).
Abbildung in dieser Leseprobe nicht enthalten
Figure1. An example of a tactile wayfinding map. Reprinted from Wayfinding, In
Topografik, Retrieved September 26, 2021, from http://topografik.co.uk/ wayfinding#/kensington-and-chelsea/. Copyright 2013 by Loz Simpson. Reprinted with permission.
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