{"id":1844830,"date":"2025-08-11T10:06:55","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T14:06:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/?p=1844830"},"modified":"2025-08-11T10:06:57","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T14:06:57","slug":"a-tool-to-generate-tactile-street-maps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/2025\/08\/a-tool-to-generate-tactile-street-maps\/","title":{"rendered":"A Tool to Generate Tactile Street Maps"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Speaking of tools for generating maps for the blind and visually impaired (previously<\/a>), there\u2019s also TMAP<\/a> (Tactile Maps Automated Production) from Lighthouse<\/a>\u2019s MAD Lab<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

TMAP\u00a0is a screen reader-friendly tool for creating tactile street maps. Raised lines and textures represent roads, pedestrian paths, and railways. Maps range from a few blocks to a few miles wide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Map creation is automated; you do not have to design and label maps. Simply enter an address, intersection or landmark into the search bar. Then choose settings for paper size and map scale, and which features to include on the map.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The maps can be ordered from Lighthouse\u2019s store<\/a> or printed on an embosser or tactile printer (as opposed to a 3D printer). Thanks to Fred DeJarlais for the tip.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Speaking of tools for generating maps for the blind and visually impaired (previously), there\u2019s also TMAP (Tactile Maps Automated Production) from Lighthouse\u2019s MAD Lab. TMAP\u00a0is a screen reader-friendly tool for creating tactile street maps. Raised… More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"link","meta":{"autoblue_enabled":true,"autoblue_custom_message":"","autoblue_shares":[{"did":"did:plc:hhxrnk4vub7jtlcl3ve26kjo","date":"2025-08-11T14:07:01+00:00","uri":"at:\/\/did:plc:hhxrnk4vub7jtlcl3ve26kjo\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3lw4xs25afj2b","response":"{\"uri\":\"at:\/\/did:plc:hhxrnk4vub7jtlcl3ve26kjo\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3lw4xs25afj2b\",\"cid\":\"bafyreicobazzcy3wnfps2foh4buplpde5ggyd2vft4bd4bw4kof332prwi\",\"commit\":{\"cid\":\"bafyreihnwmbrb5yuqzcd3ic7g452q5xlmirh4lmrduaskbalm676waxmju\",\"rev\":\"3lw4xs25j6r2b\"},\"validationStatus\":\"valid\"}"}],"autoblue_post_url":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[233],"tags":[289,290],"class_list":["post-1844830","post","type-post","status-publish","format-link","hentry","category-unusual-maps","tag-blind","tag-tactile","post_format-post-format-link"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":859,"url":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/2016\/02\/a-19th-century-tactile-map\/","url_meta":{"origin":1844830,"position":0},"title":"A 19th-Century Tactile Map","author":"Jonathan Crowe","date":"14 February 2016","format":"link","excerpt":"L. R. Klemm's\u00a0Relief Practice Map: Roman Empire (above) is an example of the\u00a0printed tactile maps used to teach sighted and blind students alike during the nineteenth century. [via] Most of the maps for blind and visually impaired users I've encountered to date are of modern provenance.\u00a0Previously on The Map Room:\u00a0Joshua\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Antique Maps"","block_context":{"text":"Antique Maps","link":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/category\/antique-maps\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.maproomblog.com\/xq\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/tactile-map-1024x734.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.maproomblog.com\/xq\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/tactile-map-1024x734.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.maproomblog.com\/xq\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/tactile-map-1024x734.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.maproomblog.com\/xq\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/tactile-map-1024x734.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1809352,"url":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/2022\/10\/more-on-tactile-maps\/","url_meta":{"origin":1844830,"position":1},"title":"More on Tactile Maps","author":"Jonathan Crowe","date":"13 October 2022","format":"link","excerpt":"The Bodleian Map Room Blog (no relation) has a nice look at some tactile maps for the visually impaired, with some interesting 20th-century examples of the form, such as 3D relief maps, a globe, and braille maps. Previously: Tactile Maps, Modern and Historical; A 19th-Century Tactile Map.","rel":"","context":"In "Unusual Maps"","block_context":{"text":"Unusual Maps","link":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/category\/unusual-maps\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3854,"url":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/2017\/02\/tactile-maps-modern-and-historical\/","url_meta":{"origin":1844830,"position":2},"title":"Tactile Maps, Modern and Historical","author":"Jonathan Crowe","date":"5 February 2017","format":"link","excerpt":"Two items on maps for the blind and visually impaired\u2014a subject I find terribly interesting: Greg Miller of National Geographic\u2019s All Over the Map reports\u00a0on a new tactile atlas of\u00a0Switzerland, which \"is\u00a0printed with special ink that expands when heated to create tiny bumps and ridges on the page.\"\u00a0I can't find\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Antique Maps"","block_context":{"text":"Antique Maps","link":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/category\/antique-maps\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1826415,"url":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/2024\/02\/middle-earth-in-braille\/","url_meta":{"origin":1844830,"position":3},"title":"Middle-earth in Braille","author":"Jonathan Crowe","date":"1 February 2024","format":"link","excerpt":"Among the tactile and braille maps sold by Adaptations, the store run by San Francisco-based LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, is this bundle of braille\/tactile maps of Middle-earth. \u201cThe maps have raised lines, textures, and braille. There are 7 maps of Middle Earth, each focusing on different features\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Maps and Literature"","block_context":{"text":"Maps and Literature","link":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/category\/maps-and-literature\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A photograph of a braille\/tactile map of Middle-earth","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.maproomblog.com\/xq\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/middle-earth-braille2-150x113.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2275,"url":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/2016\/06\/the-princeton-braillists\/","url_meta":{"origin":1844830,"position":4},"title":"The Princeton Braillists","author":"Jonathan Crowe","date":"22 June 2016","format":"link","excerpt":"The Princeton Braillists publish tactile maps and atlases for a blind readership. Several books of maps are available: world and regional atlases,\u00a0maps of U.S. states, and others. Maps and drawings are created by hand in an aluminum foil sheet. The metal is embossed with a variety of tools to produce\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"blind\"","block_context":{"text":"blind","link":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/tag\/blind\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"princeton-braillists","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.maproomblog.com\/xq\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/princeton-braillists-1024x477.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.maproomblog.com\/xq\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/princeton-braillists-1024x477.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.maproomblog.com\/xq\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/princeton-braillists-1024x477.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.maproomblog.com\/xq\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/princeton-braillists-1024x477.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1844808,"url":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/2025\/08\/3d-printed-tactile-maps\/","url_meta":{"origin":1844830,"position":5},"title":"3D Printed Tactile Maps","author":"Jonathan Crowe","date":"3 August 2025","format":"link","excerpt":"Touch Mapper is an open source project (GitHub) for generating 3D printed tactile maps for the visually impaired. The maps use OpenStreetMap data and produce a file that can be printed on almost any 3D printer, or ordered for a fee. The project started nearly a decade ago but I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Unusual Maps"","block_context":{"text":"Unusual Maps","link":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/category\/unusual-maps\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1844830","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1844830"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1844830\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1844832,"href":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1844830\/revisions\/1844832"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1844830"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1844830"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1844830"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}