Tag Archive

MAD Lab

Learn the Fundamentals of Using Tactile Maps, March 23

03/03/2023 Christina Daniels

LightHouse’s Rehabilitation Services and Media & Accessible Design departments are teaming up to present this free course on learning to read tactile maps.

This workshop takes place Thursday, March 23, from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm at LightHouse East Bay in the Osher Conference Room. The address is Ed Roberts Campus, 3075 Adeline Street, Berkeley.

What will you learn?

The value of tactile maps for route planning and awareness of environmental features
Systematic strategies in your approach to exploration of tactile maps
How symbols, line types, labels, and distance, direction, and environmental features are used in interpreting maps
Tactile discrimination techniques for map reading
Greater orientation to new environments
How to order more maps
In addition to the training, each student will take home free TMAPs of their residential area and of the LightHouse East Bay neighborhood at 3075 Adeline, as well as a tactile map of the Ashby BART Station and a tactile BART system map

Prerequisites:

Functional use of intermediate braille is required
Students must be aged 16 or up

LightHouse Braille Instructor, Divina Carlson, Senior Accessible Media and Braille Specialist, Frank Welte, Orientation & Mobility Specialist, Sarah McIntyre and tactile map aficionado, Jerry Kuns, will be facilitating this introductory training in the practical use of TMAP, tactile maps and tactile BART maps for Bay Area travelers. It must be noted that Jerry states he isn’t happier than when he has a good cappuccino in one hand and a tactile map in the other!

Come join us in learning the language of tactile maps. To attend, please contact Briana Kusuma, at BKusuma@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7335 no later than Friday, March 17. In your email, please provide Briana with your full name, phone number and your residential address, so that we can produce your home map prior to the training.

Space is limited to 15 participants. Additional registrants will be placed on a waiting list. We will consider scheduling an additional session if there is sufficient interest. Students may attend with their TVI or O&M teacher. Because this is an in-person activity, we are requesting that you provide proof of vaccination upon entry and wear a mask during the event.

This course is made possible thanks to a grant from the Federal Transportation Administration.

LightHouse News

Meet with MAD Lab at the Summer 2022 Blind Consumer Conventions

06/09/2022 LightHouse Staff

Members of our Media and Accessible Design Laboratory (MAD Lab) team will be on hand at the LightHouse exhibit booths at this summer’s American Council of the Blind (ACB) and National Federation of the Blind (NFB) conventions. They’ll be showcasing our famous TMAP, which is a tactile street map of a specific area or location as designated by the end-user. Frank Welte will be representing the MAD Lab at the ACB convention in Omaha, Nebraska and at the NFB convention in New Orleans, Louisiana.

If you’re going to the ACB convention, stop by our exhibit booth, say hi to Frank and take a look at a tactile map of Omaha.

Those of you going to New Orleans will find it a bit easier to explore the city because NFB and MAD Lab are working to make copies of a TMAP street map of the area near the convention hotel available, including the French Quarter. Make sure to pick up one of those maps.

Going somewhere else on vacation this summer? No problem! You can purchase TMAP tactile street maps and other unique MAD Lab products at the Adaptations Store. Visit www.adaptations.org or call 888-400-8933 for more information.For inquiries or questions for the MAD Lab, please contact madlab@lighthouse-sf.org or visit the MAD Lab page on the LightHouse website. We look forward to meeting you at this year’s summer conferences.

Touching the News

How far will the James Webb Space Telescope see back in time?

05/13/2022 Naomi Rosenberg

Title: Seeing back into the cosmos

Image description: Graphic illustrating the age of the universe in billions of years relative to how far back human telescope technology can see. The information in the tactile graphic is formatted on a horizontal number line that is logarithmic, with the Big Bang on the left at zero. At roughly 400 thousand years, the cosmic microwave background appears. James Webb Space Telescope can see back to 0.3 billion years when the first stars begin to appear. Between 0.3 and 1 billion years old, the first galaxies are forming. The Hubble Space Telescope can see back roughly 1 billion years. On the far right of the timeline is the modern universe at 13.7 billion years old.

In the original diagram, there is additional information embedded in the background of the number line. In this representation, time is shown as a triangle with the smallest point at the Big Bang. Until the microwave background happens, space is represented by solid orange. Between the microwave background and the time of the first stars appearing is the Dark Age represented by black. There is a thin line of purple, followed by the first stars appearing. This is the beginning of a visual progression over the course of the first stars forming into the modern universe where galaxies are forming tight clusters. When the first stars begin to form, light is diffused progressively aggregating into tight light clusters. At the time of our modern universe, galaxies are bright and forming spiraling shapes.

Download Graphic

ZIP folder contains files for producing tactile graphics on 8.5 x 11-inch paper, landscape:

PRNs for ViewPlus Columbia / Delta, APH PixBlaster, IRIE BrailleTrac / BrailleSheet;
PDFs for Swell, Microcapsule or PIAF;
Reference PDFs with corresponding large print text (not for tactile production).

Printing Instructions and Supported Embossers

How to unzip/uncompress: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, MacOS.

Source: How Far Will Webb See? from Webb vs Hubble Telescope, NASA website.

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America’s gun culture in charts: gun rights vs gun control spending

04/22/2022 Naomi Rosenberg

Title: Gun Rights vs Gun Control Groups Spending

Image description: Bar graph with y-axis label “million $” and x-axis label “year,” with five pairs of bars comparing gun rights spending as the left bar and gun control spending as the right bar. The y-axis increases from 0 to 60 in increments of 10 million dollars. The year shows years 2012 to 2020. The trend for gun rights spending increases from 2012 to 2016, then decreases with a large dip in 2018. The trend for gun control spending increases from 2012, approaching gun control spending in 2020. Table with approximate amounts below.

Year	Gun rights spending (approximate)	Gun control spending (approximate)
2012	$20 million	Less than $1 million
2014	$28 million	$9 million
2016	$55 million	$3 million
2018	$10 million	$6 million
2020	$32 million	$23 million

Download Graphic

ZIP folder contains files for producing tactile graphics on 8.5 x 11-inch paper, landscape:

PRNs for ViewPlus Columbia / Delta, APH PixBlaster, IRIE BrailleTrac / BrailleSheet;
PDFs for Swell, Microcapsule or PIAF;
Reference PDFs with corresponding large print text (not for tactile production).

Printing Instructions and Supported Embossers

How to unzip/uncompress: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, MacOS.

Source: Chart titled “Gun rights groups have spent more than gun control groups in most recent years” from America’s gun culture – in seven charts, BBC News.

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What is the layout of a Major League Baseball field?

03/25/2022 Naomi Rosenberg

Title: Baseball Diamond

Image description: Aerial view of a Major League Baseball field, with infield at the bottom and outfield at the top. The bases are laid out in a square, rotated 45-degrees, with 90 feet between each, connected by a solid line. Bases are marked by a dot and label, with home plate at the bottom, 1^st base to the right, 2^nd base above (dotted leader line to label), 3^rd base to the left. Foul lines starting from home plate radiate out 45-degrees, represented as dashed lines along the outfield. A small arc connects to the lines beyond 1^st and 3^rd to show the infield bounds. A large arc connects the top of the foul lines, containing the outfield. Player positions are marked by numbers: 1 pitcher, 2 catcher, 3 first base, 4 second base, 5 third base, 6 shortstop, 7 left field, 8 center field, 9 right field. The graphic includes a key to abbreviations, symbols, and scale line showing 90-ft distance.

Download Graphic

ZIP folder contains files for producing tactile graphics on 8.5 x 11-inch paper, portrait:

PRNs for ViewPlus Columbia / Delta, APH PixBlaster, IRIE BrailleTrac / BrailleSheet;
PDFs for Swell, Microcapsule or PIAF;
Reference PDFs with corresponding large print text (not for tactile production).

Printing Instructions and Supported Embossers

How to unzip/uncompress: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, MacOS.

Related articles: Everything you need to know about ’22 season, mlb.com

Touching the News

Map of Ukraine, relevant cities and regions

03/11/2022 Naomi Rosenberg

Title: Ukraine Map

Image Description: Map of Ukraine with bordering countries and prominent cities labeled. North is up; north arrow is omitted. Surrounding Ukraine, clockwise from the northeast, is Poland, Belarus, Russia (northeast and east), Black Sea, Moldova, Romania, Hungary (not labeled), Slovakia (not labeled). Crimea is south of Ukraine within the Black Sea, though land adjacent. Cities are labeled with abbreviations, clockwise from the northeast border with Poland: Lviv, Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Mariupol, Kherson, Odessa. Crimea (south) and the Donbas region (east), are separated with a dotted line.

Download Graphic

ZIP folder contains files for producing tactile graphics on 8.5 x 11-inch paper, portrait:

PRN for ViewPlus Columbia / Delta, APH PixBlaster, IRIE BrailleTrac / BrailleSheet;
PDFs for Swell, Microcapsule or PIAF;
Reference PDFs with corresponding large print text (not for tactile production).

Printing Instructions and Supported Embossers

How to unzip/uncompress: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, MacOS.

Source: Mapping the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Washington Post.

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How high was the Tonga volcanic plume?

02/25/2022 Naomi Rosenberg

Title: Tonga volcanic plume height

Image Description: Chart showing a 2-dimensional view of the stratosphere and troposphere. The y-axis shows Altitude, from 0 to 35 km. The x-axis shows Longitude, from 158 to 162 degrees. There is a horizontal line at 15 kilometers separating the troposphere on the bottom with small, scattered clouds and the stratosphere on top with long, thin volcanic plumes.

Download Graphic

ZIP folder contains files for producing tactile graphics on 8.5 x 11-inch paper, landscape:

PRNs for ViewPlus Columbia / Delta, APH PixBlaster, IRIE BrailleTrac / BrailleSheet;
PDFs for Swell, Microcapsule or PIAF;
Reference PDFs with corresponding large print text (not for tactile production).

Printing Instructions and Supported Embossers

How to unzip/uncompress: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, MacOS.

Source:Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha‘apai Erupts, NASA Earth Observatory; Tonga volcano: Plume reached half-way to space, BBC News.

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Where are Russia’s troops positioned near Ukraine?

02/11/2022 Naomi Rosenberg

Title: Russian Troop Locations, Feb 2022

Image Description: Map of Ukraine and bordering countries, showing locations of Russia’s troops, both permanently stationed and newly arrived units. North is up; north arrow is omitted. Ukraine is in the middle with Belarus to the northwest, Russia to the northeast and east, Moldova and Romania to the southwest, and Crimea, a small area to the south, surrounded by the Black Sea. Newly arrived units (numbers unconfirmed) are marked with a solid dot. Permanently stationed troops are marked by a number, representing the number in thousands. Near Ukraine, newly arrived units within Belarus: 8; Russia: 6, Crimea: 1; Moldova: 1. Approximate numbers of permanently stationed troops within Russia: 32,000; Crimea: 7000; Moldova: 1000.

Download Graphic

ZIP folder contains files for producing tactile graphics on 8.5 x 11-inch paper, portrait:

PRNs for ViewPlus Columbia / Delta, APH PixBlaster, IRIE BrailleTrac / BrailleSheet;
PDFs for Swell, Microcapsule or PIAF;
Reference PDFs with corresponding large print text (not for tactile production).

Printing Instructions and Supported Embossers

How to unzip/uncompress: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, MacOS.

Source: Map titled “Where Russia’s troops are positioned” within article:Ukraine: What is Nato and why doesn’t Russia trust it?, BBC News.

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What was that secret code on NASA’s Mars Perseverance Parachute?

01/28/2022 Naomi Rosenberg

Tactile graphic 1: Perseverance Parachute

Description: Parachute viewed from below, showing patterned segments filled with orange, white, or a number or letter. The code along the outer circle is the coordinates of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. The code on the inner rings reads “DARE MIGHTY THINGS,” with the orange-keyed segments spacing out each word.

Tactile graphic 2, detail: Perseverance Parachute, patterned section enlarged

Description: Detail section of one gore (segment) of the parachute, from the center, out to the letter “D,” showing the white and orange pattern in binary code.

Source: Mars Decoder Ring, JPL website.

Download Graphic

ZIP folder contains files for producing tactile graphics on 8.5 x 11-inch paper, portrait:

PRNs for ViewPlus Columbia / Delta, APH PixBlaster, IRIE BrailleTrac / BrailleSheet;
PDFs for Swell, Microcapsule or PIAF;
Reference PDFs with corresponding large print text (not for tactile production).

Printing Instructions and Supported Embossers

How to unzip/uncompress: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, MacOS.

Source: Mars Helicopter Ingenuity Quick Facts, Mars Helicopter Status Updates, Mars Helicopter Ingenuity Fact Sheet (PDF)

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January 6 US Capitol Timeline Maps

01/14/2022 Naomi Rosenberg

Graphic 1: Jan 6, 2021, US Capitol Overview Map

Image Description: Map of the Capitol Building surrounded by police barricade fencing and the locations where it was breached. North is to the left. The US Capitol Building is shown as a thick, solid line, containing abbreviations (from left) for Senate Chamber, Rotunda, and House Chamber. The fencing, two long dashed lines, curve around the Capitol to the north and south. Breached fences, dotted lines, are to the east and west, as well as diagonal barricades starting from bottom left of the fenced area toward the west entrance of the Capitol Building. Times on the map label the fencing when barricades were breached–2:00 on the east side of the building (above), and 2:10 on the west (below). An arrow points down, west toward the National Mall.

Graphic 2: Jan 6, 2021, US Capitol 2nd Floor Detail Map

Image Description: Cropped floor plan (north 1/3rd) of the Capitol Building’s second floor, showing the exterior wall, hallways, and the Senate Chamber. North is to the left. The building exterior is a thick, solid line, with a dotted line on the west side (bottom of page) where the mob broke through doors and windows of the first floor at 2:11 PM. The Senate Chamber is a filled texture, with hallways leading to it on 3 sides. Hallways are thin solid lines, marked with dots at the locations of Mike Pence, and where the mob faced off with police. A labeled arrow points to the stairs on the east side where the mob entered the hallway near the Senate Chamber at 2:14 PM. To the right, an arrow points to the Rotunda and House Chamber.

This is a 3-page graphic containing the Capitol Overview map and detail map, along with a key to abbreviations and textures, as well as associated timeline of events.

Download Graphics

ZIP folder contains files for producing 3 pages of tactile graphics on 8.5 x 11-inch paper, portrait:

PRNs for ViewPlus Columbia / Delta, APH PixBlaster, IRIE BrailleTrac / BrailleSheet;
PDFs for Swell, Microcapsule or PIAF;
Reference PDFs with corresponding large print text (not for tactile production).

Printing Instructions and Supported Embossers

How to unzip/uncompress: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, MacOS.

Source: Capitol riots timeline: What happened on 6 Jan one year ago?, BBC News. How a Presidential Rally Turned Into a Capitol Rampage, The New York Times.

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