Tactile maps produced on microcapsule paper are a comparatively recent innovation. Previous research has indicated that visually impaired adults find such maps easier to use than the longer established thermoform tactile maps. But previous studies have not considered whether microcapsule maps are also suitable for visually impaired children. Therefore, this experi ment compared die effectiveness of thermoform and microcap sule maps designed for children. Three pairs of equivalent ther moform and microcapsule maps were designed, and visually impaired children were timed while uiey traced a route on the maps. The children performed equally well with both types of maps, and mere were no effects for age or for the degree of sight. It was concluded that microcapsule maps can provide a feasible alternative to thermoform maps.
Tactile diagrams can be produced by several processes, each of which has specific advantages. There has been little previous work to indicate whether microcapsule maps and diagrams are as easy to use as those made by more traditional methods such as the thermoform process. This article describes a study which set out to compare the performance of a group of children using the same maps produced on microcapsule paper and by the thermoform process. The children performed almost equally well with both sets of maps, which indicated that children would not be at a disadvantage when using microcapsule maps and diagrams. ,
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