Guided Tactile Description for Demo Map

This page contains a guided tactile description which accompanies the Zenith Science Museum tactile demo map. It should be read as a guide while exploring the map tactiley.

Overview

This tactile map shows the first floor of the Zenith Science Museum. A QR code sits in the lower left corner; which you can scan to access this guided tactile description. Above the QR code is a vertical rectangle legend with seven entries. The floor plan fills most of the map to the right of the legend.

At the top center is the title in braille: “Map of Zenith Science Museum Floor 1.”

This map shows six program public program spaces, two staff only spaces, three all gender restrooms, and a library and gift shop.

Legend

Starting at the upper left corner of the map, move down to find a vertical rectangle outline. Inside the rectangle, at the top left corner, is the braille word “Legend.”

This legend includes two tactile patterns and five tactile symbols. Each pattern marks an area or path. Each symbol marks a point of interest.

The first symbol, right under the word “Legend,” is a solid five-pointed star for “you are here.”
Next is a filled circle inside a hollow circle for “interactive.” There are 13 interactives on this map.
Next is two stacked triangles, one pointing up and one down, for “elevator.” There is one set of elevators in the museum.
Next is the first pattern, overlapping random lines in a hash pattern, for “staff only” areas. There are two staff-only areas in the museum.
Next is a zigzag line for “stairs.” There are three sets of stairs in the museum.
Next is the second and last pattern, two dotted parallel lines, like a row of braille letter “g”s, for the “emergency egress path.”
Last is a solid equilateral triangle on its side for “emergency exits.” There are three emergency exits in the museum.

To recap, the legend has five symbols for points of interest and two textures that appear on the map to the right.

How to Read the Map

The first floor is a rectangle with slight protrusions on the top and bottom exterior walls.

The hard lines show the building’s walls and the walls between rooms. When a wall stops and starts again, it marks an entrance or exit.

Each room has its title inside.

Map

This map shows six public program spaces, two staff-only spaces, three all-gender restrooms, a library, and a gift shop.

We’ll start at the museum’s main entrance. Find the map title at the top middle edge. Below “Floor 1,” move down to the braille text “Main Entrance.” Left of the braille is the triangle symbol for emergency exit. Below that symbol is the emergency egress path texture, which feels like two dotted parallel lines. Follow the emergency egress path down the map until you find the star symbol for “you are here.” We’ll explore the rest of the map from here.

We are in the lower left hallway of the museum. This hallway follows the building’s outer edge, making a rectangle around the large central space, the Steve Bijoux Observatory. All museum spaces except the Shelby Exhibit Hall connect to this path.

Stairs

With our fingers on the star, keep moving down the map in the same direction. We’ll soon find a zigzag line symbol for the stairs. On our left is a small staff-only room.

Return to where the star and path meet. On our right is a triangle-shaped wall. Slightly up and to the right are two interactives between this triangular wall and the Steve Bijoux Observatory.

Stanley Workshop

Find the base of the triangle and move down to enter the Stanley Workshop, which has three entrances and one interactive. In the upper right corner is the circle symbol for an interactive.

Shelby Exhibit Hall

Move your fingers to the room’s bottom wall to find a break in the wall on the right side. This is the entrance to the Shelby Exhibit Hall which has two entrances and no interactives.

Pepper Room

Follow the bottom outer wall of the Shelby Exhibit Hall as it curves up to the right. When it meets a horizontal wall, move slightly left to find a break in the wall, marking the entrance to the Pepper Room.

The Pepper Room has three entrances and two interactives. The two interactives are along the top wall—one at the far left and one at the right. The Pepper Room also connects to the Stanley Workshop through an entrance on its left wall.

Emergency Exit, Elevator, Stairs

To leave the Pepper Room, find the braille word “Pepper.” Go to the end of the word, move up to find the circle interactive, then move right until you meet a vertical wall. Follow the wall until you find a break in it; this is the room’s exit.

Exiting to the right, move until you meet a vertical wall; you are now in a hallway. Trace the wall down until you find a triangle at the end of the hallway for an emergency exit. Move up from the triangle until you reach a horizontal wall. Move slightly left to find the opening into the elevator lobby. Inside, we’ll find the elevator symbol. Keep one finger on the elevator symbol. With another finger, feel right past the vertical wall until you find the circle interactive, about one inch from the elevators. Let’s go there.

Starting on the elevator symbol, leave the elevator lobby the way we came in. Move your finger right, then up to find another interactive. Move directly down from that interactive to reach the zigzag line symbol for stairs at the end of the hallway. This hallway runs parallel to the hallway with the earlier emergency exit.

Restroom

Trace the right wall back up the hallway until you reach the wall’s corner end. Move right at the corner to find the entrance to the restroom. This is one of three all-gender restrooms, labeled in braille as “rr.” It is not ADA accessible and has a baby changing table. This is the last room along the bottom wall of the museum.

Lucas Archives

Move up from the braille “rr” and slightly right to find a vertical wall that curves slightly left as you move up. Follow this wall up and left, passing the earlier interactive, and keep going up until the wall meets a horizontal wall at a right angle. Follow the horizontal wall right to find an opening into the Lucas Archives, which has one entrance and one interactive. Inside the Lucas Archives, at the bottom right, you will find the interactive symbol.

Marin Action Lab

Move up from the Lucas Archives opening to find a horizontal wall enclosing a set of stairs. To enter the stairwell, move right to the opening. Exit the stairwell the way you came in, then move left, following the stairs’ horizontal wall until it meets a vertical wall at a right angle. Follow the vertical wall up until you find a horizontal wall. Move left along this wall until you reach an opening. This is the entrance to the Marin Action Lab, which has one entrance and two interactives on the rightmost wall.

Steve Bijoux Observatory

Exit the Lab the way you came in. Move your finger down until you find a horizontal wall. Slightly to the right is an opening. This is the entrance to the Steve Bijoux Observatory, which has two entrances and four interactives.

The Observatory is a large rectangle with a curved lower left corner and a recessed lower right corner where the elevator vestibule is (not accessible from the Observatory). There are four interactives: one down and slightly right from the entrance, one in the middle of the bottom wall, and two clustered together in the middle of the top wall.

ADA Restrooms

To exit the Observatory, move left from the two interactives along the top wall until you find the second entrance. Move up through the entrance to return to the path. Above is a large staff-only room.

Follow the wall of the staff area left until you meet the egress path again. Follow the egress path down, keeping your finger on it while feeling left for a vertical wall with multiple breaks. The first opening is the entrance to the ADA restroom with a urinal and a baby changing table. Continue down to feel a second opening to the second ADA restroom with no urinal and a baby changing table.

Library and Gift Shop

Now go back up toward the main entrance. Follow the wall and egress path to reach the two restroom openings again. Keep going up to find a third and final opening parallel to the egress path. This is the entrance to the Library and Gift Shop.

Exit the Library and Gift Shop the way we came in, return to the egress path, and follow it until we find the museum exit.