RE: Query - Street level maps for JAWS users in UK

Systems like Trekker tell blind users which direction they are heading 
(North/South, etc) and then tell them location or direction of points of 
interest by left/right, etc.

Atlas Speaks a map program from around 1999/2000 would allow blind users to 
navigate maps offline by the same method.  Blind users could use the arrow 
keys to move a pointer around the map along roads.  It would tell you which 
direction you were heading (North/South, etc) Up arrow would move you to the 
next intersection or point of interest, down would move you back.  Left and 
right could be used to turn onto an intersection.  I don't see why this 
couldn't be done with Google maps.

Jonathan

-----Original Message-----
From: w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org [mailto:w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org] On Behalf 
Of Scott Plumlee
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2008 8:27 AM
To: Joshua Street
Cc: Patrick H. Lauke; w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
Subject: Re: Query - Street level maps for JAWS users in UK


On Wed, Apr 30, 2008 at 9:29 PM, Joshua Street <josh.street@gmail.com> 
wrote:

> This mode of expressing locations in a relative sense would achieve some 
> of
> the OP's goals, but not others: for example, it presumes knowledge of the
> area sufficient to cite to the application a start and end point; it is 
> not
> possible to input a region and, as sighted users may, subsequently view 
> all
> the streets in a given area (subject to detail/zoom settings).
>
> I haven't looked extensively into the accessibility of this information
> within Google's product in particular, but am aware of others (at least 
> with
> Australian map data) that are less AJAX intensive and more likely able to 
> be
> parsed successfully.
>
> Josh Street
> http://josh.st/blog/

I did some quick searching but couldn't find how GPS for blind users
give their directions (left/right versus north/south) or some other
way.  I am surprised that no one (that I know of) has added the
capability of switching from relative directions to compass point
directions inside Google maps.  You can switch from miles to
kilometers, why not relative to absolute?  I'm sure the technical side
of it is much more complicated that I realize, however.