Evaluating the usability of 3D thematic maps: A survey with visually impaired students

The pilot survey presented herein explores the possibilities given by three-dimensional (3D)-printed maps to students with visual impairment (VI) for learning the spatial distribution of geographic phenomena. The main research questions are: (a) whether students with VI can perceive two phenomena depicted on the same 3D-printed map and (b) whether they perform better when interacting with individual tactile maps for each spatial phenomenon than when interacting with a single 3D-printed map displaying the two spatial phenomena simultaneously. Our analysis indicates that 3D-printed maps can be a valuable alternative for the education of students with VI even when they represent two spatial phenomena simultaneously.