Laser Focus World is an industry bedrock—first published in 1965 and still going strong. We publish original articles about cutting-edge advances in lasers, optics, photonics, sensors, and quantum technologies, as well as test and measurement, and the shift currently underway to usher in the photonic integrated circuits, optical interconnects, and copackaged electronics and photonics to deliver the speed and efficiency essential for data centers of the future.

Our 80,000 qualified print subscribers—and 130,000 12-month engaged online audience—trust us to dive in and provide original journalism you won’t find elsewhere covering key emerging areas such as laser-driven inertial confinement fusion, lasers in space, integrated photonics, chipscale lasers, LiDAR, metasurfaces, high-energy laser weaponry, photonic crystals, and quantum computing/sensors/communications. We cover the innovations driving these markets.

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Editorial Advisory Board

  • Professor Andrea M. Armani, University of Southern California
  • Ruti Ben-Shlomi, Ph.D., LightSolver
  • James Butler, Ph.D., Hamamatsu
  • Natalie Fardian-Melamed, Ph.D., Columbia University
  • Justin Sigley, Ph.D., AmeriCOM
  • Professor Birgit Stiller, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, and Leibniz University of Hannover
  • Professor Stephen Sweeney, University of Glasgow
  • Mohan Wang, Ph.D., University of Oxford
  • Professor Xuchen Wang, Harbin Engineering University
  • Professor Stefan Witte, Delft University of Technology

New Esri Book Explores How Tactile Maps Provide Essential Context for People Who Are Visually Impaired

Tactile Mapping: Cartography for People with Visual Impairments Includes Fresh Insights into Design and Methods for Presenting Geographic Information Accessibly

Esri, the global leader in location intelligence, has published Tactile Mapping: Cartography for People with Visual Impairments, a collection of expert-written chapters, case studies, and user stories demonstrating cartography for greater accessibility by people who are visually impaired.

Tactile maps offer greater independence and inclusion for people who are blind, yet much of the research done in this area has remained inaccessible to a broader audience. Tactile Mapping: Cartography for People with Visual Impairments bridges this gap by exploring the subject from a multidisciplinary perspective, illustrating cartographic theory with real-life case studies and user stories.

A collaboration by skilled professionals, domain experts, and people with visual impairments, Tactile Mapping is an introduction to the field for cartographers and other geographic science practitioners. Readers will gain new insight from three perspectives: user experience, scientific research, and practical implementation. Topics include:

  • The role of maps in shaping perception of the world
  • Best practices in tactile map design, including an understanding of tactile perception
  • The need for map design processes to be user centered
  • Different output media for tangible maps and geographic models

The new book is written by Dr. Vincent van Altena, a senior researcher at Kadaster (Netherlands), and Dr. Jakub Wabiński, an assistant professor at the Military University of Technology in Warsaw, Poland. Tactile Mapping explains and demonstrates how mapmakers can become and are being intentional and inclusive with their designs.

Tactile Mapping: Cartography for People with Visual Impairments is available in print (ISBN: 9781589488359, 120 pages, US$54.99) and as an ebook (ISBN: 9781589488366, US$54.99). Both editions can be obtained from most online retailers worldwide. Interested retailers can contact Esri Press book distributor Ingram Publisher Services.

About Esri

Esri, the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence, and mapping, helps customers unlock the full potential of data to improve operational and business results. Founded in 1969 in Redlands, California, USA, Esri software is deployed in hundreds of thousands of organizations globally, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, nonprofit institutions, and universities. Esri has regional offices, international distributors, and partners providing local support in over 100 countries on six continents. With its pioneering commitment to geospatial technology and analytics, Esri engineers the most innovative solutions that leverage a geographic approach to solving some of the world’s most complex problems by placing them in the crucial context of location. Visit us at esri.com.

Copyright © 2025 Esri. All rights reserved. Esri, the Esri Globe and Frame logos, The Science of Where, esri.com, and @esri.com are trademarks, service marks, or registered marks of Esri in the United States, the European Community, or certain other jurisdictions. Other companies and products or services mentioned herein may be trademarks, service marks, or registered marks of their respective mark owners.

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