| Summary: | 碩士 === 大同大學 === 工業設計研究所 === 92 === In an unfamiliar area, the sighted people often need a map to find the point of reference while a tactile direction map is required for the visually impaired people. The tactile direction map is a public facility that makes it easy for those who suffer visual impairment to acquire information and establish a sense of direction. It helps them stay oriented in their living surroundings. Through touching, instead of visual communication, a visually impaired individual turn the tactile direction map into a mental map, then following his/her memories the way to their destination is found.
Generally, the direction map contain signs (including icons, texts and symbols), and legend which go beyond the barrier of words, so most of the people can understand. Though incorporating Braille and some tactile elements, tactile direction maps rarely have icons due mainly to the characteristics of Braille and some tactile elements. Inclusion of Braille and tactile elements relatively reduces the density of information on tactile direction maps and makes sound design difficulty. If the tactile direction map has the same density of information as general direction map, the map area will be beyond the reaching range of a person’s hand and makes it hard for the visually impaired to touch. Under both situations, the visually impaired people would gain incomplete information which in turn might lead to unforeseen dangers.
The purpose of this research is to design an iconized tactile direction map to solve the problems above. Through field survey and questionnaire survey, it attempted to identify the difference between the general direction map and tactile map. Their own strength and weakness were also analyzed. Through interviews, it explored the requirements of the visually impaired for public facilities. Based on literature reviews and survey outcomes, it engaged in tactile icon design with the help of experiments and evaluations. A model has been eventually generated, and tests have conducted to verify its effectiveness.
This study has pinpointed the needs of the visually impaired for public facilities in their daily lives and the problems they encounter and has formulated the principles for designing tactile-icon-direction maps. It is the researcher’s hope that the design principles derived from this research would serve as an important reference for planning tactile-icons and tactile-direction maps to contribute in building a barrier-free environment for visually impaired people, and the attract more school to do more related researches.
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