Navigating without Vision: Principles of Blind Spatial Cognition
Published: 2018
Publication Name: Navigating without Vision: Principles of Blind Spatial Cognition
Abstract:
This chapter considers what it means to learn and navigate the world with limited or no vision. It investigates limitations of blindness research, discusses traditional theories of blind spatial abilities, and provides an alternative perspective of many of the oft-cited issues and challenges underlying spatial cognition of blind people. Several provocative assertions pertaining to visual impairment and spatial abilities are advanced that help to better understand navigation without vision, provide greater explanatory power relevant to many of the current debates, and offer some needed guidance on the development of new spatial learning strategies and technological solutions that will ultimately have a significant positive impact on the independence and quality of life of this demographic. An underlying and related theme of the chapter emphasizes the importance of ‘space’ in spatial cognition research, rather than vision as its principle mechanism. There is no debate that vision is an amazing conduit of spatial information, but it is also important to remember that it does not have a monopoly on space. Indeed, all of our senses encode spatial information to one degree or another, and as we will discuss, this commonality allows for equivalent performance on many of the same spatial behaviors, independent of whether they originate from visual or nonvisual perception.
Citation:
Giudice, N.A. (2018) Navigating without vision: Principles of Blind Spatial Cognition. In D.R. Montello (ed.), Handbook of Behavioral and Cognitive Geography: Edward Elgar Publishing. Chapter 15, (pp. 260-288). Cheltenham, UK; Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing. (corresponding author)