Discussion: Orienteering for blind people??

Hello,
I got a question from one of my friends that when and where was the 1st orienteering competition for blind people??

I have no idea, maybe someone can help me?

Thank you!

It's called trail-o.

There is a Deaf Orienteering Championships, but I didn't know there was a blind event too.

I thought it was called Bing-O

I was just as surprised when I heard of it. I know of deaf-O, but blind-O?? How can they make the maps?? With Braille??

How do you negotiate the terrain?

Have not heard of this. But actually a tactile map may not be so difficult to make. Start small with backyards, local parks. Lot's of possibilities.

There is a symbol set in OCAD for blind maps. Various textures substitute for colors. An impact printer would be needed to create the tactile surface.

I think peggyd did graduate school work on orienteering for blind people, but I don't remember the details.

Reading the map would seem to be the easy bit... how do you tell the difference between open and green and fight on the ground? ..by how often you bump into trees?

If you're curious what a tactile map might look like, I'll put in a plug for the Tiger tactile graphics printer by Viewplus Technologies. (I briefly worked for these guys, about a decade ago)
http://www.viewplus.com/products/braille-printers/...

Yeah, as jjcote said, I wrote my master's thesis on orienteering for the physically disabled, including the blind. After I translated a Skogsport article for OUSA I received a lot of materials from the father of blind orienteering in Sweden (and unfortunately I'm blanking on his name) before choosing my topic. (One of the things he sent me was an early thumb compass, which was pretty cool.)

As others have said, the blind use tactile maps, simplified quite a bit of course, and they mostly stay on paths and other gentle terrain. Tactile mapping is quite advanced; it's been around for decades (my undergraduate adviser wrote her dissertation on tactile mapping in the late 70s I think).

I would like to read that issue of ONA. Have any sample maps?

I would be very interested to find out when and where was the first competition of blind orienteering?

The May 1985 issue of Scientific Journal of Orienteering has a nice article by Arne Yngström on map reading techniques for the visually impaired.

Yes, Arne Yngström is the guy who sent me all the info. (I remembered his name today.)
Kevin, do you mean the OUSA magazine article from about 1983/4? I may have it somewhere, but not easily findable. Likewise with the sample maps -- I know I had some with all my thesis materials, but I don't know where it all is right now.

I read the Scientific Journal of Orienteering article online.
Not sure about an OUSA article. The USOF magazine was called Orienteering North America (ONA) , but I don't think back issues are available online.

"ON/ not available online"

Yet. Older copies have all been scanned; perhaps GregL can track down and send you the copy you need?

In Belgium during the 3-days in May, there will be a competition for blind people. I don't know how it will work exactly, but i think it's more like ARDF (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_radio_directi...).

Here was the invitation for the Blind-o: http://orientatie.org/nieuws/2013/03/primeur-orien...

Robin Shannnonhouse hosted a meet for blind orienteers and wrote an article about the event.

If I recall correctly there was orienteering for the blind being developed some 25-35 years ago in Japan. I believe I still have a sample of a braille map they had developed. Tomorrow I will go to the basement archives and see what I can dig up.

At the top of this discussion someone mentioned that orienteering for the Blind is Trail O. That is not correct.

At the top of this discussion someone mentioned that orienteering for the Blind is Trail O. That is not correct.

I'll say...

You better have excellent vision (corrected or natural) if you want to succeed in Trail-O.

But how would the blind person know where they were on the map? How would they relocate if they stumbled off-course?

Does anyone know when the first orienteering event was held for sarcasm-challenged people?

Probably April 1st..

There's been a motion to change it to February 31st next year.

Orienteering for the blind? I don't see it.

This is all very close to home now ...
Remember that many blind people do have some vision. For many V.I. and some blind people it would be fairly easy to see things like boulders, buildings, walls and so forth, and also fairly straightforward to see the difference between white, green, yellow in the terrain. So a tactile map would overcome the real barrier to participation for some: not being able to see the map.

Now I want to read Peggy's thesis!