DHMAP.ORG Tactile and large print maps by David Hawgood

Portsmouth Harbour - tactile map without braille

Introduction

This page explains a map of Portsmouth Harbour intended for blind users who cannot read Braille. I am developing the map, and seek comments. I have some maps of other counties for users who read Braille, and users who read large print.

The Description section says what is on the map. The Maps section has links to the map, which is in pdf (Acrobat) format, and to a page describing the way to produce a tactile map from the pdf file. On another page is a general introduction to this series of maps of the English counties which are intended to be accessible to blind and partially sighted people. The other maps are based on 1835 maps of counties, this Portsmouth Harbour area one is based on a modern map.

Description

The map is in portrait format, with a rectangular frame enclosing the map. There is a solid circle at the top left above the frame, and the web address www.dhmap.org/HAM/PO.html above the frame in large print letters to help sighted users. The top of the map is the North. The area shown on the map is 10 miles vertically by 7 miles across, and the top frame has a mark 5 miles from the left as a scale bar.

The word Portsmouth is in half inch high letters (initial capital P then lower case) at the top inside the frame. Below that as a line sloping across the map is a solid line, the left hand end is the M27 from Southampton and it continues as the A27 at the right to Havant (both towns off the map). The line is marked by the characters M27 just above it.

Sea is shown as a texture of dots, at the bottom of the map and two harbour areas, Portsmouth Harbour in the centre of the map, Langstone Harbour at the lower right of the map. Between the two harbour areas and the M27/A27 line is Portsea Island. Most of this is now Portsmouth; a large capital P marks the position of Old Portsmouth.

On the land area on the lower left of the map is Gosport, marked by a large capital G.

The entry to Portsmouth Harbour is narrow, between Gosport on its left and Portsmouth on its right.

Maps

Graphic of Tactile map with Roman letters (pdf file)

Instructions for making a tactile map

A single copy of this page and graphics linked from it can be made by or for any individual user. If you wish to make multiple copies or modifications, please contact David Hawgood - email david at hawgood dot com - I will normally give permission but I wish to know what use is being made of the maps. I also welcome comments.