Investigating Blind User Preference on Tactile Symbols for Landmarks on Audio-Tactile Map

Abstract

Tactile symbols are important in facilitating blind people to understand maps. With audio-tactile maps, the use of tactile symbols needs to be designed appropriately since the symbols are associated with speech. Although there are tactile symbols proposed in the literature, the design of these symbols are mainly for conventional tactile maps. As the literature suggests that the design of these symbols is based on user preferences which are largely influenced by culture and environment. Since there is no guideline for designing tactile symbols for our culture, we therefore conducted a user study with blind participants at Malaysian Association for the Blind (MAB) to investigate their preference on tactile symbols that can be used with audio-tactile maps. From the study, we found that in order for our blind participants to easily recognize a landmark, the landmark symbols should be filled with texture. Landmark symbol with texture inside can help convey information instantly through touch. Although audio can be used to convey information about the landmark, the audio on the tactile map is only a tool for confirming their tactile information. Since audio helps enhance their user experience with the tactile map, the placement of an audio label on the tactile map becomes crucial. This paper concludes by discussing some recommendations on how to improve the available landmark symbols according to their preferences.