Tactile Mapping Workshops – Join Us!

Would you like to learn how to design maps that are accessible to blind and partially sighted users? Join our tactile mapping workshops, where we will share our experience in developing tactile maps and demonstrate how scientific research can be successfully translated into practical cartographic design.

For nearly a decade, we have been developing innovative methods for designing and producing tactile maps for people with visual impairments. Our research and practical implementations focus on increasing the informational value of tactile maps, applying low-cost tactile printing techniques, developing and validating systematic methodologies for tactile map design, and creating new types of tactile maps that enable non-visual exploration of cultural and natural heritage. All of our proposed solutions are evaluated by blind and partially sighted users, ensuring that they meet real user needs and are readable, functional, and ready for practical application. The quality of our work is reflected in the success of our tactile maps, which received both the Jury Award and the Public Vote Award at the map exhibition of the 32nd International Cartographic Conference (ICC 2025) in Vancouver, Canada.

Over the years, we have gained extensive knowledge and hands-on experience that we would like to share with you during the workshop. The workshop combine essential theoretical foundations with extensive hands-on activities, allowing participants to explore different aspects of tactile map design and understand how design decisions influence the way maps are perceived and interpreted by users. Participants will learn the principles of tactile symbol design and tactile map compilation, discover how to automate different stages of the map production process, and explore technologies suitable for producing tactile maps. We will also present best practices developed in collaboration with end users, as well as methods for testing and evaluating the quality and usability of tactile maps.

Our next workshop will take place during EuroCarto 2026 in Brno, Czech Republic, on 8–9 September 2026 (Workshops – EuroCarto 2026). Register today and choose the workshop modules that interest you most via the EuroCarto 2026 Tactile Mapping Workshops Registration Form (EuroCarto 2026 – tactile mapping workshops registration form).

The workshop is intended for cartographers, geographers, designers, educators, professionals working in cultural institutions and public administration, as well as anyone interested in improving the accessibility of spatial information.

We invite you to explore the possibilities of modern tactile cartography with us—from theory and cartographic design to the practical creation of tactile maps that genuinely improve access to spatial information for blind and partially sighted people.