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| Subject: | RE: GISList: Re: Section 508 Question - Visual disabilities and m
aps |
| Date: |
08/16/2001 04:17:31 PM |
| From: |
Weaver, Chris |
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There is also a difficulty that no one has mentioned....... what is the
person is not merely color blind, but in-fact blind. The Section 508 rules
as I understand them states that all disabilities must be accounted for.
How are we supposed to account for that situation? ..... put an "alt tag"
that says "map"? Since maps are so very visual, i'm confused about how
this would be satisfied
> -----Original Message-----
> From: John S. Wood [SMTP:jsw86405@sci.tamucc.edu\
> Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2001 4:57 PM
> To: gislist@geocomm.com
> Subject: RE: GISList: Re: Section 508 Question - Visual disabilities
> and maps
>
> While it may be a real problem for a small minority of map-readers, I feel
> that the color issue, as far as maps and mapping on the computer with a
> color scheme, may be best left to a system programmer, who could write a
> program or video driver that would change the color display on all the
> programs (web browser, images, text, etc.) to a color scheme that would be
> better suited to those with disabilities, rather than changing at the
> expense of all the observers. Hypertext could automatically be displayed
> as
> a color visible to that individual, or italicized, bolded, or surrounded
> by
> %%%%some format change%%%%. The cartographer in me argues that the color
> schemes I deliberately chose to emphasize a point or strengthen the ideas
> represented on a map must be focused on the majority of the audience of
> that
> product.
> The other question that comes to mind...what is the politically correct
> cross-hatching symbology: and would you use all black or white colors in
> your cross-hatch?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ronald Cossman [mailto:Ronald.Cossman@SSRC.MsState.Edu\
> Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2001 3:17 PM
> To: gislist@geocomm.com
> Subject: RE: GISList: Re: Section 508 Question - Visual disabilities and
> maps
>
>
> Humm. It seems that a common thread is that maps (or Web pages or
> whatever)
> fail to communicate when they are solely using color to convey an abstract
> concept. To wit, David Irving's comments about being able to read a topo
> map
> under nightlights make sense. You are simply trying to get from Point A to
> Point B, and most topo maps, even when reproduced in a gray tone will
> still
> convey the basic information.
>
> Paul Henni pointed us to a get UK site about designing Web pages with the
> color blind in mind. What is telling is how the functionality changes. If
> a
> color-blind person can not see the blue highlighted text, the only visual
> clue that it is a hyper-link or web address is the underline that is also
> (conventionally) added. Notably we do not usually introduce a link with
> the
> words, "What follows in a link."
>
> Finally, to finish out this stair-step to abstraction, Jim Cueno had to
> present colored zoning maps to City Council members who can not see the
> colors. What they can see are the outlines of the city streets, parcels,
> etc. But we rely upon color to convey abstract concepts (e.g. local
> zoning,
> percent Hispanic, mortality rates, etc.) and a certain portion of the
> population simply cannot see it. Perhaps we are venturing into the field
> of
> symbology to suggest that maybe, for public use maps, we should consider
> moving away from "abstract colors." By that I mean, what is the color of
> mortality rates, or income inequality? Who the heck knows? It is not
> intuitive. As long as you are mapping physical features then dirt will be
> brown and water will be blue. But what about non-physical attributes?
> Socially constructed indicators? Maybe parcel zoning should not be
> represented by abstract colors at all (thereby avoiding the choices of
> politically correct colors to represent different land uses) but instead
> by
> symbols over a crosshatch to denote the parcel.
>
> To illustrate the problems relative to the visualization of health data
> look
> at:
> the most excellent Dartmouth Atlas project (hyper-link to follow):
> http://www.dartmouthatlas.org/
> or a new set of U.S. Census maps at (hyper-link to follow):
> http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/atlas.html
>
>
> In conclusion, our task is usually to convey information in a visual
> fashion
> to a wide audience. Anything that makes that process more effective, which
> could include reach a wider audience who cannot perceive colors, may be a
> good thing. Perhaps the U.S. ADA legislation is an opportunity for us to
> reexamine the widespread use and mis-use of colors in and on maps. Any
> thoughts from those dealing with
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