[Athen] Accessible map mobile application

[Petri, Kenneth]

OSU's mobile app ( very confusingly named "OSU Mobile") has two map-based applications, one for buses, one for campus maps. The campus maps app allows for a user to select a location and the user can read info about each building, but the map itself is not accessible to VoiceOver in any really usable way for way-finding. You can get a list of building names and addresses, but once you move to the map display screen reader feedback is not terribly helpful.

On the other hand, our buses map is pretty usable with VoiceOver. If you know the routes and what route the building/stop you want is on then the buses application will tell you what stop you are currently near, how far it is from you, and when the next buses are expected to arrive at that stop. You can "flick" through all of the stops on a route and the "next bus" information reads out quite understandably.

I wish the campus map had gotten the same amount of accessibility love, but it hasn't yet. We used to have a "walking directions" web-based service. It provided good and up to date (construction-aware) walking directions, but there was no GPS/way-finding tie in. The current walking directions is Google-provided and works quite well but may not be fine grained enough for non-visual navigation. The database of in-house curated walking directions is no longer maintained, as far as I know. Some obvious points for synergy between the walking directions and the OSU Mobile team, but I'm not sure how deeply those have been explored.

You can find OSU Mobile on the Apple Store and our web-based campus maps are here: http://www.osu.edu/map/. On web-based map, if you want to get a sense of walking directions, click on Directions on the map, try going from Pomerene Hall to Wexner Center for the Arts. It's pretty nifty, but the directions interface is not accessible to screen reader users....

Best,
ken
[The Ohio State University]
Ken Petri, Program Director
Web Accessibility Center, ADA Coordinator's Office and Office for Disability Services
102D Pomerene Hall | 1760 Neil Ave. Columbus, OH 43210
614-292-1760 Office | 614-218-1499 Mobile | 614-292-4190 Fax
petri.1 at osu.edu<mailto:petri.1 at osu.edu> | wac.osu.edu<http://wac.osu.edu>

From: athen-list [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman13.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Martin, Susan
Sent: Tuesday, June 24, 2014 12:11 PM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network (athen-list at u.washington.edu)
Subject: [Athen] Accessible map mobile application

Hello- Is anyone working on or already using an Interactive Accessible Map-mobile application for their campus?
Thank you,
Susan

Susan J. Martin M.Ed- Director

The Learning Accommodations Center
Northern Essex Community College
Behrakis One-Stop Student Services Center SC-111B
100 Elliot Street, Haverhill, MA 01830
Tel# 978-556-3647
Email: smartin at necc.mass.edu<mailto:smartin at necc.mass.edu>
Strategic  Maximizer  Arranger  Individualization  Relator

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