A Mouse With Ears Explores Maps

Abstract

This paper describes a set of techniques designed to assist visually impaired and blind users build mental models of geographic maps without the use of special hardware beyond what is needed to support a web browser, mouse, and sound card. The methods described make use of auditory signals which serve as corrective feedback information for users as they attempt to learn geographic data from these maps. The mental model is built by tracing paths and locating objects on the maps. We claim that the user's activity of tracing and location discovery constructs a mental model through motion of the hand - the reverse of the process by which blind users draw objects which they have never seen. Experiments evaluating these methods will be reported in a subsequent paper.