Auditory Maps: An Orientation Aid for Visually Handicapped Persons

Auditory maps, recorded on cassette tapes, can be used to provide a visually handicapped person who is fully trained in the use of long-cane or dog-guide mobility skills with a verbal description to orient him to a specific travel area (district map) or step-by-step instructions to guide him to a particular objective (route map). It is suggested that the information included on such maps can best be prepared by an orientation and mobility specialist and that the content of the map can be best expressed using one or more of the following orientation reference systems: ego-centric, topo-centric, cartographic, and polar-centric. Suggestions are made for the use of specific mobility techniques and recordings of particular sound cues that might be encountered. Sample scripts for auditory district and route maps are included. The relative merits of auditory vs. other types of maps are fully discussed, as are the wide variety of potential uses of such recorded travel aids.