[nfbmi-talk] innovative

Mon Nov 28 02:51:04 UTC 2011

hi Joe,

With some forethought I think the tactile issues can be ameloriated.  The
trick is to eliminate as much superfluous data as possible and to scale the
map so that detail is more in focus.  Another way to think of it is zooming
in so that a smaller portion of the map is on a larger piece of paper.
After practice, I would guess that one could then zoom out a little at a
time giving a larger land area on a map.   

It is really nice to have a lot of data such as campgrounds, historic sites,
and other information, but it can be distracting and clutter up and obscure
the data one is attempting to view, or touch, as the case may be.

Warm Regards,

Fred

-----Original Message-----
From: nfbmi-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbmi-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf Of joe harcz Comcast
Sent: Sunday, November 27, 2011 7:54 AM
To: NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List
Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] innovative

You are welcome Fred. I don't know if I have the tactile abilities to
disceren the topographical maps described here personally, but it would be
more than intriguing to try.

The other thing I can envision here (pun intended) is an interface between
such maps and cane travel in rural terrain.

Just some thoughts.

But this does look like it is worthy of investigating further.

Peace,

Joe
----- Original Message -----
From: "Fred Wurtzel" <f.wurtzel at att.net>
To: "'NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List'" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2011 11:54 PM
Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] innovative

> Hey Joe,
>
> This is really cool.  I am a geography buff and have always loved maps. 
> My
> choices are pretty limited since I no longer use print.
>
> thanks for sending this on.
>
> warm Regards,
>
> Fred
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfbmi-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbmi-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
> On Behalf Of joe harcz Comcast
> Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2011 8:56 AM
> To: nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [nfbmi-talk] innovative
>
> This looks like it might be a good project for Camp T Science Camp and for
> other students...
>
> Gainesville St student inspires map for the blind
>
>
>
> GAINESVILLE, Ga. (AP) - Like most students, Efren Chavez was looking for 
> an
> easy A when he chose to take geology this semester.
>
> "I chose geology because I thought it would be easier than chemistry," 
> said
> Chavez, a 20-year-old business administration major at Gainesville State
> College.
>
>
>
> "I thought we were just going to be learning about a bunch of rocks and
> minerals."
>
>
>
> That was partially true. The course also required him to read maps. His 
> easy
> A had just become difficult.
>
>
>
> Chavez can't read a map. In fact, he can't even see a map.
>
>
>
> He lost his sight when he was just 9 years old, a result of detached
> retinas.
>
>
>
> "Part of the geography and geology classes at GSC involve reading and
> interpreting topographic maps. These are two-dimensional maps that use
> various symbols
>
> and lines to depict elevation and other geographic features," said Chris
> Semerjian, Gainesville State associate professor of geography.
>
>
>
> Ordinarily, visually impaired students would've been referred to a
> three-dimensional model to use, but Chavez didn't want to be singled out. 
> He
> wanted to
>
> learn in the same manner as his peers.
>
>
>
> "This was the first time that we've been given the challenge of how to 
> teach
> a visually impaired student to read a flat map on a piece of paper,"
> Semerjian
>
> said.
>
>
>
> Chavez's desires may have presented the college with a challenge, but has
> proven to not be an insurmountable obstacle.
>
>
>
> With assistance from Chavez, staff member Carol Kraemer developed a unique
> paper map that allows him to "read" it. To those with sight, aside from 
> the
> raised
>
> blue and green lines indicating roads and rivers, the map appears to be
> blank.
>
>
>
> "We made something he could feel, instead of see," said Kraemer, a
> Gainesville State geospatial technology research associate.
>
>
>
> "We don't know that anything like this has ever been done before."
>
>
>
> To create the map, Kraemer used Adobe Photoshop to make a mirror image of 
> a
> digital map, which she then enlarged and printed.
>
>
>
> "I made a mirror image because we needed to be able to see the lines as he
> would, so that we could trace them with the graphic tactile tools," 
> Kraemer
> said.
>
>
>
> "Those tools create texture on the other side, so he can feel the features
> of the map. I tried to get as close as I could to what the other students
> saw
>
> when they look at their topographical maps.
>
>
>
> "I had to split his into two. One has coordinates on it and the other has
> (land features) because having all of that information on one would've 
> been
> confusing."
>
>
>
> Chavez's nimble fingers glide over the dots, dashes and ridges on the 
> paper.
> He easily identifies roads and rivers, while differentiating between the
> incline
>
> and decline of a mountain.
>
>
>
> He picks up on subtle changes that his sighted-counterparts miss.
>
>
>
> "I put on a blindfold and tried to pick things out, but my hands didn't 
> see
> as well as my eyes did," said Derek Robinson, a Gainesville State
> environmental
>
> science major, who helped create the map.
>
>
>
> "I'm really impressed the way he has picked all of this up. Our sight
> sometimes gets in the way of our learning, but he doesn't have that issue.
>
>
>
> "It's a different way of learning, but we're learning the same thing."
>
>
>
> Recently, the Geospatial Alliance hosted Geographic Information Systems, 
> or
> GIS Day, at Gainesville State. During the event, GIS users shared 
> real-world
>
> applications for the multidimensional technology.
>
>
>
> According to the United States Geological Survey, GIS "is a computer 
> system
> capable of capturing, storing, analyzing, and displaying data identified
> according
>
> to location."
>
>
>
> With GIS technology, users can create multilayered maps - very much like 
> the
> paper maps that Chavez uses. During GIS Day, Chavez showed visitors how to
>
> "read" his maps.
>
>
>
> "You're going to feel a lot of different lines. Did you notice that thick
> line? That's the road," Chavez told one, blindfolded volunteer.
>
>
>
> "And those little curved ones are called contour lines. They basically
> indicate the level of steepness in an area. The closer the lines are, the
> steeper
>
> it is."
>
>
>
> Although he didn't physically create the maps, Chavez was a key member of
> the team.
>
>
>
> "He helped me through it every step of the way. I would do a little bit at

> a
> time and have him check it to make sure I was on the right track," Kraemer
>
> said.
>
>
>
> "He even taught me how to use Braille, so I could make the stickers for 
> it."
>
>
>
> Even though Kraemer was creating a learning tool for Efren, he taught her
> the importance of seeing things from a different perspective.
>
>
>
> "During the design process, I thought about not going with the green 
> roadway
> because I didn't like the way it looked," Kraemer said.
>
>
>
> "When I told Efren that I was going to do it over, he started feeling the
> map and said, 'Don't change a thing. I can read it great.'
>
>
>
> "I almost let my sight get in the way of me seeing that things were as 
> they
> should be."
>
>
>
> This may be the first map of its kind, but it has inspired the Gainesville
> State team to make sure it's not the last.
>
>
>
> "This is the prototype. We're very excited about how successful this first
> attempt has been," Semerjian said.
>
>
>
> "(Chavez) used this map to take a lab test and he made a 100, which is
> highly unusual for students who can see. It's a real testament not only to
> what (Kraemer)
>
> has created, but also his ability to see through his hands.
>
>
>
> "We hope to replicate this method, so we can not only help other visually
> impaired students on our campus, but also across the country."
>
>
>
> For Chavez, who uses a guide dog to help him navigate around the Oakwood
> campus, being able to learn the course materials on his own has been a
> treat.
>
>
>
> "At first, I was kind of overwhelmed because it is a lot of information to
> process," Chavez said.
>
>
>
> "In the beginning, I let my hands wander over the map so I could visualize
> where everything was. Once I learned how it looked, it became easier.
>
>
>
> "Being able to see what everyone else sees has been nice."
>
>
>
>
>
>
http://www.necn.com/11/26/11/Gainesville-St-student-inspires-map-for-/landin
> g_health.html?&apID=4e3788e78f5645dcbef5cdaf0925a406
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