Making maps accessible

Posted by:

Sarah Bourne, Director of Assistive Technology & Mass.gov Chief Technology Strategist, Information Technology Division

With most things there are formulaic answers to the question, "How do I make that accessible?" For this feature of a web page, do this. For a text box in a form, use a label. For a data table, provide a summary and heading information. The W3C collects and publishes these techniques; if they are not easy to remember, they are easy to look up.

But some things don't boil down to a simple formula, and that's where designers and developers need to apply their imagination and analysis skills. The classic example s a map.

People like maps because they present information in a way that is easy for them to use and understand. We are visually- and spatially-oriented and maps are elegant ways to cater to that. They are problematic, however, for people who can't see or can't see well. How could you describe everything in a map in alternative text? Is it reasonable to try, and would it even be useful if you did?

But those are the wrong questions. What's really important is the information; the map is just a vehicle for presenting it. And that is the key to determining what to provide for accessibility.

Online maps are generated from Geographic Information Systems (GIS). A GIS is a database that uses physical location as the key to the data it stores, with powerful analysis and reporting capabilities. If a piece of information can be tied to a particular place, you can put it in a GIS. Maps are delivered based on searches. Those maps can be overlaid with images from aerial photography and other sources, but to the GIS application, those images are just another set of data. Everything else is generated by the GIS on the fly. This means that it can use data to make an online map, and it can also present data in text.

Instead of asking, "How can I make a map accessible?" you need to ask a series of questions.

    * What is the purpose of this map: showing where things are located? their proximity to other things? how to get someplace?
    * What kind of information is it showing?
    * What other ways are there of presenting that information?

You need to be sure the text you provide accomplishes the same thing. You don't need to worry as much about things that may appear on the map but aren't relevant for this particular purpose. For instance, you don't need to list every street that appears, unless the purpose is to show all the streets that are in a particular area.

An example of how to "make a map accessible" is AAA's TripTix or Google Maps directions. A map is provided showing the start and end points and marking the route, but they also provide a list of step-by-step directions in text. If you were trying to show the closest pharmacies, you might provide a list with street addresses, phone numbers, and how many miles away they are.

The solutions may not always be easy to figure out, or the obvious solutions may not be the correct ones. The more complex the application, the more important is it to solicit input from the people who will benefit the most from your efforts. Don't be surprised if their input helps you make your "map" work better for everyone!

Comments

[twitter.com/ScottHorvath]

Sarah,

Great information and great points! I was at a conference a few months ago where someone had the same sort of issue...how to make their Flash-based navigation map accessible. They were worried about having to make the map text-based, or even how to do that. But once I explained to them how to think differently about what it was they were trying to make accessible, they felt relieved. In fact it wasn't that hard for them to make their map accessible.

It's the same with any information presented on the web. If people can really dig down to WHAT it is they're trying to provide then they can more easily think about HOW they're going to make it accessible. Too often developers complain about making web content accessible because they feel it's a burden. In reality it can make their content MORE accessible...not just to help people but also by improving their SEO (search engine optimization).

[Sarahebourne]

Thanks for your affirmation, Scott!

When accessibility is presented as a boring, limiting thing that has to be done, it's not surprising when people are less than enthusiastic about it. But it's really much more exciting and challenging than that, and more often than not gives you important insights into the needs of all your users.

[Jonathan]

So I have a question, I am working on a map for the University that I am employed with. Now we have 125 different buildings, and approximately 20 streets/roads that connect the campus. On top of that we are trying to make it halfway interactive where you can turn on certain elemental icons, like wheel chair access points, emergency phones, bus stops, and so on. What would you recommend for making this type of map accessible?

[Ronald]

Some call them barrier free plans, universal design plans, lifestyle homes, wheelchair plans, aging in place home plans, or accessible home plans. Whatever you call it, they all fall under the same specifications set forth by the Center for Universal Design (CUD) at North Carolina State University. For questions or comments, contact us at
www.barrierfreedesigns.com/