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‘Talking’ Braille maps help the visual impaired

‘Talking’ Braille maps help the visual impaired


Life at HOK | June 12, 2013
Way back in 2011, I wrote about a volunteer effort that involved some of us at HOK SF: documenting BART stations around the Bay Area to create “talking” tactile maps for the blind.
 
Conducted under the guidance of Lighthouse for the Blind, this effort was a great learning experience in terms of how the blind navigate complex spaces that the rest of us take for granted (transit hubs, malls.. the list goes on). It was also a great look at how technology is being harnessed to aid the differently abled. These maps have raised symbols for important navigational landmarks like escalators and stairs overlaid on a simple outline of BART stations.
 
 

About the Author: Aditya Oruganti offers his perspectives on the beautiful city of San Francisco and the goings-on of HOK's SF office. When he's not working, Adi likes to read and travel. Read more posts by Aditya Oruganti.

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During the past five years, the worlds of hospitality and corporate real estate have undergone an incredible transformation. The traditional approach toward real estate asset management has shifted to a focus on offerings that accommodate mobility, changing demographics, and technology, writes HOK's Eva Garza.

Life at HOK | Oct 13, 2014

The mindful workplace: How employees can manage stress at the office

I have spent the last several months writing about healthy workplaces. My research lately has focused on stress—how we get stressed and ways to manage it through meditation and other mindful practices, writes HOK's Leigh Stringer.

Life at HOK | Sep 9, 2014

Using Facebook to transform workplace design

As part of our ongoing studies of how building design influences human behavior in today’s social media-driven world, HOK’s workplace strategists had an idea: Leverage the power of social media to collect data about how people feel about their workplaces and the type of spaces they need to succeed.

Life at HOK | Aug 16, 2014

The science of learning: Designing the STEM learning facilities of the future

New technology and changing pedagogies are influencing how to best teach a generation of learners who have never known a world without smartphones or tablets, writes HOK's Kimberly Robidoux.

Life at HOK | Aug 5, 2014

Will driverless cars kill the parking structure?

A report from Deloitte highlighted how driverless cars could dramatically alter car ownership in the future, pushing the pendulum from ownership to rentals and ride sharing.

Life at HOK | May 19, 2014

What can architects learn from nature’s 3.8 billion years of experience?

In a new report, HOK and Biomimicry 3.8 partnered to study how lessons from the temperate broadleaf forest biome, which houses many of the world’s largest population centers, can inform the design of the built environment.

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