Information contained in the cognitive maps of people with visual impairments for the city center

Cognitive maps act as symbolic structures that encode spatial knowledge and assist individuals with blindness in making critical decisions while navigating spatial environment. The present study aimed to investigate the information (items) contained in the city center cognitive map of individuals with visual impairments, as well as to the classification of these items based on the sensory modality through which they are recognized, and their perceived usefulness for information, safety, and wayfinding/orientation support. Fourteen individuals with visual impairments were asked to present their cognitive map of the city center, and five of them were further involved in a focus group. The results gave prominence to those items (e.g., bus stations, cafe, pastry shops) the participants find more important to include in their cognitive maps, to the sensory modalities of these items (e.g., auditory and olfactory), as well as to the scope of using the specific items (information and orientation/wayfinding) during their environmental navigation within the city center.