Maptime seeks to open the doors of cartographic possibility as well as to create a space for learning about mapping tools & technologies. We are alway interested in how folks make maps that address different users & users' needs--to make them more usable--and are interested in how Lighthouse for th eBlind is making tactile maps for unsighted users's needs.
Lighthouse for the Blind has developed a set of new mapping tools: tactile maps that orient users to parks, transportation, public transit, & can be provided to allow better access to space. The Media & Accessible Design Laboratory (MAD Lab) at LightHouse for the Blind & Visually Impaired specializes in making visual information accessible & inclusive.
Folks from the MAD Lab will lead us through the Tactile Maps Automated Production (TMAP)--a revolutionary tool for on-demand creation of tactile street & parks maps. TMAP is an accessible, web-based app, using Google maps search information & OpenStreetMap data to generate tactile maps of streets centered on a user-specified location. The TMAP project promotes tactile literacy, independent travel, & exploration through the availability of standardized tactile street maps.
TMAP addresses the limited availability of quality tactile maps by drawing from existing open-source street data, & automating the design process. Cost & good design are the two largest challenges to tactile map availability & literacy. By automating the process, TMAP eliminates the expense of designing tactile maps, & in turn, creates a product for users without the typical extended wait time. Using design parameters to ensure tactile legibility, TMAP produces usable, custom street maps quickly & cheaply.
TMAP is a joint project of the Smith Kettlewell Eye Research Institute & the LightHouse for the Blind & Visually Impaired.
Website: http://lighthouse-sf.org/tmap/
Maptime provides a setting to engage, discuss, & share new mapping tools. The setting is collaborative, simultaneously flexible & structured, creating space to feature independent/collaborative work time. Since inspiration for Maptime comes from hack nights & knitting circles, we seek to provide a relaxed collective learning environment. We're especially interesting in discussing new mapping tools in a space for people to create & learn together. Our goal is to provide a safe space for mapping with an open heart & without pretension.
We hope you bring your own projects to work on, or just hang out & socialize or ask questions. Some people are experts, & some people are just getting started, but all of us are learning--which it's always best to do together!
