Mapping the Outdoors: Evaluating Accessibility Through Print Trail Map Design

This exploratory and introductory research examined accessibility through an interdisciplinary lens, combining communications studies, graphic design, and outdoor education. This work focused on examining challenges with visual accessibility on printed trail maps, with a specific focus on users with color vision deficiency and low vision. In this research, low vision is defined as those who are visually impaired or hard of seeing but not those who are blind or with a full lack of sight. While outdoor education frequently discusses accessibility in many forms, there is a gap in the research that specifically addresses the impact of color blindness and low vision accessibility for trail maps. This project integrated the fields of outdoor education with communication design by focusing on the typography, scale, contrast, color, and other design elements of printed trail maps. Throughout the initial phase of the research, a literature review was utilized to develop a set of accessibility principles or best practices for map design. These principles were then developed into an evaluation criteria that was utilized to evaluate seven print trail maps through a document analysis process. This evaluation showed that, in large part, trail maps provide accessibility challenges for low vision or color vision deficient users through small font size, low contrast color choices, inconsistent font types, and other design elements. Maps that were shown to be more accessible utilized pastel background colors, dashed lines and highlight colors to showcase trails, and consistent naming practices that increased both functionality and readability for all map users. As this research is exploratory and introductory, a potential outcome is to contribute to the field by suggesting a set of principles that publishers could adopt to make their maps more inclusive and accessible.