Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Accessible map design ensures that everyone can engage with spatial information. Whether you're creating digital or print maps, accessibility considerations can enhance usability for a wider audience, including people with visual impairments or color vision deficiencies. Incorporating accessible design practices from the start helps make maps more effective and equitable.

Best Practices for Accessible Maps

• Color Contrast: Ensure sufficient contrast between map elements (e.g., text, symbols, background).
• Colorblind-Friendly Palettes: Use color schemes that are distinguishable by individuals with color vision deficiencies. 
• Alternative Text: When using digital maps, include descriptive alt text for key map elements to support screen readers.
• Legible Fonts and Sizes: Use readable fonts and appropriate text sizes to ensure map labels are clear and easy to interpret.
• Interactive Features: Provide keyboard navigability and screen reader compatibility for web-based maps and geospatial applications.

Resources

• How? Building maps for Vision Deficiency, A personal approach to making maps by Andy Skinner: a StoryMap with tips for accessibility in maps
• ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise: Best Practices for Web App Accessibility: Esri video tutorial

Choosing the right colors and ensuring sufficient contrast are key components of effective map design. Whether you’re creating a thematic map or a complex spatial analysis, understanding color theory and accessibility can greatly enhance the clarity and impact of your visualizations. Below are some resources to help you select color palettes and improve contrast in your maps.

Color Palette Tools

• ColorBrewer: A go-to tool for selecting color schemes tailored for different types of maps (e.g., sequential, diverging, qualitative). It also offers options for colorblind-friendly palettes.
• Adobe Color: This tool lets you create custom color schemes based on color theory and export them for use in your mapping software.
• CARTOColors: A collection of color palettes designed specifically for cartography, with an emphasis on clarity and legibility.

Contrast and Accessibility Resources

• Contrast Checker (WebAIM): Ensure your map’s text and colors meet accessibility standards with this contrast checking tool.
• Accessible Colors: This tool helps you find color combinations that are both visually appealing and accessible for those with color vision deficiencies.
• Siegemedia: Color contrast checker allowing you to test color combinations for sufficient contrast.

Additional Resource

• How? Working with Color, A personal approach to making maps by Andy Skinner: a StoryMap with tips on color choices in maps

Creating interactive maps can be useful to engage users and enhance data exploration. Here are some examples and tutorials:

• Interactive maps and chart created by Evan Applegate: examples of interactive maps
  • Code to recreate interactive map and chart examples: GitHub repository