Comparison of three orientation and mobility aids for individuals with blindness: Verbal description, audio-tactile map and audio-haptic map

Konstantinos Papadopoulos, Eleni Koustriava, Panagiotis Koukourikos, Lefkothea Kartasidou, Marialena Barouti, Asimis Varveris, Marina Misiou, Timoclia Zacharogeorga, Theocharis Anastasiadis

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Disorientation and inability of wayfinding are phenomena with a great frequency for individuals with visual impairments during the process of travelling novel environments. Orientation and mobility aids could suggest important tools for the preparation of a more secure and cognitively mapped travelling. The aim of the present study was to examine if spatial knowledge structured after an individual with blindness had studied the map of an urban area that was delivered through a verbal description, an audio-tactile map or an audio-haptic map, could be used for detecting in the area specific points of interest. The effectiveness of the three aids with reference to each other was also examined. The results of the present study highlight the effectiveness of the audio-tactile and the audio-haptic maps as orientation and mobility aids, especially when these are compared to verbal descriptions.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-7
Number of pages7
JournalAssistive Technology
Volume29
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2 Jan 2017

Keywords

  • audio-haptic map
  • audio-tactile map
  • blindness
  • spatial knowledge

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Comparison of three orientation and mobility aids for individuals with blindness: Verbal description, audio-tactile map and audio-haptic map'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this