title: Comparison of three orientation and mobility aids for individuals with blindness: Verbal description, audio-tactile map and audio-haptic map.
abstract: Disorientation and inability of wayfinding are phenomena with a great frequency for individuals with visual impairments during the process of travelling novel environments. Orientation and mobility aids could suggest important tools for the preparation of a more secure and cognitively mapped travelling. The aim of the present study was to examine if spatial knowledge structured after an individual with blindness had studied the map of an urban area that was delivered through a verbal description, an audio-tactile map or an audio-haptic map, could be used for detecting in the area specific points of interest. The effectiveness of the three aids with reference to each other was also examined. The results of the present study highlight the effectiveness of the audio-tactile and the audio-haptic maps as orientation and mobility aids, especially when these are compared to verbal descriptions.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Educational and Social Policy , University of Macedonia , Thessaloniki , Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Papadopoulos
authors.affiliation: a Department of Educational and Social Policy , University of Macedonia , Thessaloniki , Greece.
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Koustriava
authors.affiliation: c KAIKOS Project , University of Macedonia , Thessaloniki , Greece.
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Koukourikos
authors.affiliation: a Department of Educational and Social Policy , University of Macedonia , Thessaloniki , Greece.
authors.forename: Lefkothea
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kartasidou
authors.affiliation: a Department of Educational and Social Policy , University of Macedonia , Thessaloniki , Greece.
authors.forename: Marialena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barouti
authors.affiliation: a Department of Educational and Social Policy , University of Macedonia , Thessaloniki , Greece.
authors.forename: Asimis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Varveris
authors.affiliation: a Department of Educational and Social Policy , University of Macedonia , Thessaloniki , Greece.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Misiou
authors.affiliation: b Faculty of Education , National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Timoclia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zacharogeorga
authors.affiliation: c KAIKOS Project , University of Macedonia , Thessaloniki , Greece.
authors.forename: Theocharis
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Anastasiadis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008377:Maps as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D000072458:Orientation, Spatial / Q000502:physiology*; D012656:Self-Help Devices; D012984:Software; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology; D014705:Verbal Behavior; D019987:Persons with Visual Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: audio-haptic map; audio-tactile map; blindness; spatial knowledge