IMPACT
OF TACTILE CARTOGRAPHY ON THE
TEACHING
OF GEOGRAPHY IN LATIN AMERICA
Alejandra Coll E.
Cartography Department
Tactile Cartography Centre
Metropolitan Technological
University
Fernando Pino S.
Geography Department
Faculty of Architecture and
Urban Studies
University of Chile
ABSTRACT
The sustained development
undergone by the line of research into “tactile cartography” over the last ten
years at the Metropolitan Technological University, in Santiago, Chile, has
enabled an inter-disciplinary and international
team to be consolidated, thus making it possible to cover the needs for
access to geographic knowledge of visually handicapped people.
The study of the symbology
for the various scales of work and different thematic variables have been
portrayed through a tactile cartography that has enabled children, young people
and adults to be able to study topics in the area of geography. This has helped
their learning while being entertaining at the same time, particularly for
those student with visual and hearing handicaps, even for those who are not
handicapped but, being at the same schools, improve their integration with the
whole class.
The research has been carried out within the framework of the research
projects approved by the Pan-American Institute for Geography and History
(PAIGH) and in the Organization of the American States (OAS). The products of
this research relate to the themes portrayed on small-scale maps, such as: maps
of physical terrain, vegetation, climate, population and political maps,
covering the World, Latin America and countries in Latin America, along with
cartography at intermediate scales such as urban plans of the capital cities of
Latin America, and at large scales on the subject of school and classroom plans
in various schools of Latin America. Moreover, Manuals of Geographic Concepts
have been created with cartography demonstrating various concepts in a spatial model,
such as rivers, lakes, hills, among others, these being accompanied by
photographs and texts in Braille.
The cartography and boards
showing the various concepts of the Earth, likewise the teaching and
entertainment materials about geographic topics have been made in PVC and foam
plastic materials, enabling the creation of 3D models 3D with Braille writing,
for the use of blind persons and all those who can make use of their sense of
touch.
In paralell with the research
and production work, training courses have been implemented and given about
using and handling tactile material for teaching geography, in which the
re-evaluation of basic cartographic concepts and of the techniques and criteria
for decoding cartographic models, with an emphasis on reading and
interpretation, has enabled a large number of teachers from various schools in
several countries of Latin America to acquire the skills needed to obtain
maximum benefit out of the materials made.
On this occasion the
development and achievements reached so far during the performance of these
projects are presented, and the impact on the education of our handicapped
students by the use of the tactile cartography and teaching materials made over
the last four years is described.