Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Designing Accessible Maps on Mobile Devices for Blind and Visually Impaired Users

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Advances in Industrial Design (AHFE 2020)

Part of the book series: Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing ((AISC,volume 1202))

Included in the following conference series:

  • 2865 Accesses

Abstract

Currently, there is a high percentage of people with visual disabilities worldwide. Sometimes, these people do not have access to the information of online geographic maps. A traditional map published on the Web does not provide the necessary alternative information for people with visual disabilities. This research presents a mobile application with geographic maps that provides the information in audio format to blind and visually impaired users. The application uses the Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG Tiny) format that allows additional information to be stored within the map code. SVG Tiny provides to screen readers the content inside of map code to transform text to audio. The tests were carried out through accessibility assessment tools, which showed a level of accessibility greater than 90%. In addition, tests were carried out with blind people, who were satisfied with the level of accessibility of the mobile application.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Kalbag, L., Pickering, H.: Accessibility for everyone (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Park, K., Goh, T., So, H.J.: Toward accessible mobile application design: developing mobile application accessibility guidelines for people with visual impairment. HCI 4, 31–38 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Henry, S.L., Abou-Zahra, S., Brewer, J.: The role of accessibility in a universal web.: In: Proceedings of the 11th Web for all Conference, pp. 1–4 (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  4. World Health Organization.: Visual Impairment and Blindness (2014). http://www.who.int/blindness/publications/globaldata/en/

  5. Sandoval, C., Gómez, G.: Accesibilidad en web para personas con discapacidad visual. Síntesis Tecnol. 2(1), 1–10 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. World Wide Web Consortium.: Accessibility W3C Recommendation (2005). https://www.w3.org/standards/webdesign/accessibility

  7. Word Wide Web Consortium.: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 (2018). https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/

  8. Word Wide Web Consortium.: Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) (2018). https://www.w3.org/TR/SVG2/

  9. Binzhuo, W., Bin, X.: Mobile phone GIS based on mobile SVG. In: Proceedings IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, IGARSS 2005, vol. 2, p. 4 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Engel, C., Müller, E.F., Weber, G.: SVGPlott: an accessible tool to generate highly adaptable, accessible audio-tactile charts for and from blind and visually impaired people. In: Proceedings of the 12th ACM International Conference on PErvasive Technologies Related to Assistive Environments, pp. 186–195 (2019)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Ducasse, J., Brock, A.M., Jouffrais, C.: Accessible interactive maps for visually impaired users. In: Mobility of Visually Impaired People, pp. 537–584 (2018)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Calle-Jimenez, T., Luján-Mora, S.: Accessible map visualization prototype. In: Proceedings of the 13th Web for All Conference, pp. 1–2 (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Calle-Jimenez, T., Eguez-Sarzosa, A., Luján-Mora, S.: Design of an architecture for accessible web maps for visually impaired users. In: International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics, pp. 221–232 (2018)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Juan-Armero, S., Luján-Mora, S.: Using SVG to develop web maps for people with visual disabilities. Enfoque UTE 10(2), 90–106 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. World Wide Web Consortium.: Web content accessibility guidelines WCAG 2.0. W3C Recommendation (2008). https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito, Ecuador

    Tania Calle-Jimenez

  2. University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain

    Sergio Luján-Mora

  3. Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Ambato, Ecuador

    Hugo Arias-Flores

  4. Nova University of Lisbon, Monte de Caparica, Lisbon, Portugal

    Isabel L. Nunes

  5. Centro de Investigación en Mecatrónica y Sistemas Interactivos, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Quito, Ecuador

    Carlos Ramos-Galarza

  6. Facultad de Psicología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador

    Carlos Ramos-Galarza

Authors
  1. Tania Calle-Jimenez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sergio Luján-Mora
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hugo Arias-Flores
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Carlos Ramos-Galarza
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Isabel L. Nunes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tania Calle-Jimenez .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Architettura, Universitàdegli Studi G.d’Annunzio”, Pescara, Pescara, Italy

    Giuseppe Di Bucchianico

  2. Department of Industrial Design, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA

    Cliff Sungsoo Shin

  3. University of Notre Dame, Indiana, IN, USA

    Scott Shim

  4. System Design and Management, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan

    Shuichi Fukuda

  5. Faculty of Architecture, University of Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal

    Gianni Montagna

  6. Faculty of Architecture, University of Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal

    Cristina Carvalho

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Calle-Jimenez, T., Luján-Mora, S., Arias-Flores, H., Ramos-Galarza, C., Nunes, I.L. (2020). Designing Accessible Maps on Mobile Devices for Blind and Visually Impaired Users. In: Di Bucchianico, G., Shin, C., Shim, S., Fukuda, S., Montagna, G., Carvalho, C. (eds) Advances in Industrial Design. AHFE 2020. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 1202. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51194-4_15

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51194-4_15

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-51193-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-51194-4

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation