Tactile Maps and New Technologies for Blind and People with Visual Impairments

Abstract

Until recently, the medical model of disability has dominated, but times and views change so that the model of social inclusion is now the guideline. It is therefore the broad acceptance of the social model of disability that leads to these changes and assistive technology is the main tool that allows social inclusion. In this paper an attempt is made to investigate greek and international bibliography regarding the design, the use and the effectiveness of haptic maps. This bibliographic research is divided into two main parts, each of whom divided into sub-chapters. The first part includes definitions and researches related to the structure, form and operation of the tactile maps and, more generally, of the individual characteristics taken into account in their creation. In the second part, there is a brief presentation of the new technologies for the blind and visually impaired people.