Tip for planners to help colour blind people

[Norni]

Don't have 2 consecutive legs in a dead straight line (at least on a dark background)

After 20 years as a colour-blind orienteerer, I did something for the first time on Saturday - I failed to see a control on the map. The incident has made me ask myself how it could have been avoided, and what I now realise is that I use the connecting lines to locate the next control. Against dark backgrounds, when I can't really see the circles or numbers, I locate the circles by looking for changes of direction in the connecting line. On Saturday, the line out of control 1 went into a block of dark grey, and came out the other side in exactly the same direction, and headed to an other circle, which I assumed was control 2. Imagine my surprise when I got there and found it was number 3.

I have been gratified over the years to see discussions about catering for colourblind people, and I spoke to the controller on the day, who was aware of the issue and started talking about percentages of cyan. To be honest, I don't think tinkering with the colours makes any real difference. I will always struggle to pick up any shade of red/pink/purple against a dark background. What Saturday also made me realise is that if I look at my collection of urban maps, I can very rarely see the actual control numbers because they tend to be (sensibly) placed in the buildings where they don't obscure any important information. Rather than look for number 16 or number 17, I simply look for 'the next' control, by following the connecting line. As long at the line changes direction even slightly, I should always be able to locate that next control, no matter what colours are involved.

PS I assume in all of this that finding control circles on the map is not supposed to be part of the challenge in orienteering.

[JK]

Did the control numbers (or lines or circles) have a white "shadow" round them?
That helps a lot for non-colour-blind people to spot them on dark buildings. If you have a lot of buildings on your map then making them a bit lighter also can help.

I don't know if these things would help colour-blind people, but I suspect it wouldn't make it worse.

[AndyC]

My colour blindness is marginal (apparently I would be on the fringe of being allowed to be a fighter pilot -but as I have no intention.... ) but I have been caught out by three controls forming a straight line causing me to miss the middle one. Twice , I think once caused a DSQ (either that or I backtracked muttering) and once I happened to run pass the control and thought "that number is on my course"
So it can happen even when optical ability isn't less than perfect.
As a side comment on "our" Summer Series one member commented that he had trouble reading the map because of his Daltonism - so we experimented with changing the colour mix of the purple - and guess what - he didn't turn up for the event!

[madmike]

Did the control numbers (or lines or circles) have a white "shadow" round them?

We have done exactly that with number shadow for RoME2013 next weekend!

PS: with my controllers hat on I would argue that controls that don't involve any change of direction whatsoever are, 9 times out of 10, superfluous; moreover, routechoices can often be improved simply by removing the middle control - just a thought.

[JK]

PS: with my controllers hat on I would argue that controls that don't involve any change of direction whatsoever are, 9 times out of 10, superfluous; moreover, routechoices can often be improved simply by removing the middle control - just a thought.

I don't know about these particular legs, but in forest areas with good track networks then having a 1/2 way control is likely to keep people more off the tracks and lead to a more technical course. Similarly in Urban just because the line goes straight doesn't mean the effective course goes straight. Although I agree with your general principle, 9/10 seems far too high.

I remember my run in the final M21B British Champs - first 5 controls in a straight line. I put my thumb over 2 and ran from 1 to 3 - so I can sympathise.

[madmike]

PS: with my controllers hat on I would argue that controls that don't involve any change of direction whatsoever are, 9 times out of 10, superfluous; moreover, routechoices can often be improved simply by removing the middle control - just a thought.

I don't know about these particular legs, but in forest areas with good track networks then having a 1/2 way control is likely to keep people more off the tracks and lead to a more technical course. Similarly in Urban just because the line goes straight doesn't mean the effective course goes straight. Although I agree with your general principle, 9/10 seems far too high.

I remember my run in the final M21B British Champs - first 5 controls in a straight line. I put my thumb over 2 and ran from 1 to 3 - so I can sympathise.

Yes fair enough 9/10 was a bit of an exageration. I don't disagree with your points on heavily tracked forests and Urban areas but as you say the principle is fundamentally sound.

[JK]

Agreed: it is always worthwhile looking at a course and thinking, how is it affected if I take that control out?

[Reiver]

Norni, having just made a similar error in the SOUL at Lanark yesterday I think it would be great if we could get this sorted. I work in exactly the same way on urban events looking for the directions of the lines in and out as I often can't see the circles or read the numbers. I got caught on Sunday by 2 controls very close together (which was a brilliant piece of planning as the route between them was quite complex) but I only visited one and did not realise until I was at the next control. (5 minutes lost sorting it out and tracking back).
I find some maps I can read quite easily and some I can't with both the colour of the olive green and the lines making a difference. A white shadow around the numbers as already suggested also works really well but the numbers have to be placed carefully or the shadow can look like a route through.

[buzz]

PS: with my controllers hat on I would argue that controls that don't involve any change of direction whatsoever are, 9 times out of 10, superfluous; moreover, routechoices can often be improved simply by removing the middle control - just a thought.

I don't know about these particular legs, but in forest areas with good track networks then having a 1/2 way control is likely to keep people more off the tracks and lead to a more technical course. Similarly in Urban just because the line goes straight doesn't mean the effective course goes straight. Although I agree with your general principle, 9/10 seems far too high.

I remember my run in the final M21B British Champs - first 5 controls in a straight line. I put my thumb over 2 and ran from 1 to 3 - so I can sympathise.

Yes fair enough 9/10 was a bit of an exageration. I don't disagree with your points on heavily tracked forests and Urban areas but as you say the principle is fundamentally sound.

I disagree I don't think in principle courses are better with less controls. Depending on the circumstances adding extra controls or removing superfluous controls can both benefit a course.

Back on topic though - I made a similar mistake at a recent urban event and perhaps I do over-rely on the connecting lines rather than the circles and numbers which can be hard to see especially on urban maps.

I'd go with a map drawing solution though rather than compromising courses (assuming the middle control did benefit the course in this case)

[King Penguin]

Take care with white surrounds as if the placing is not checked carefully it can give the impression of a narrow cut-through route when there is none.

[GML]

Is there any way that those of us who aren't colour blind (and are mappers, planners or controllers) can see what a map is going to look like to someone who is colour blind - so that we can at least try to make changes to the cartography to mitigate the problem? E.g. could someone produce an alternative version of the OCAD colour table that reproduces, for those of us who aren't colour blind, what the map will look like to someone who is colour blind?

[madmike]

I disagree I don't think in principle courses are better with less controls. Depending on the circumstances adding extra controls or removing superfluous controls can both benefit a course.

buzz that wasn't my point at all. I agree with what you say above.

To try and be a bit clearer my point is if you have 3 controls in an exactly straight line then more often than not it is better to remove the middle one as this often (but not always I accept) improves route choice conundrums. This can of course allow you to use this control somewhere else in the forest to further enhance the orienteering experience.

[madmike]

Is there any way that those of us who aren't colour blind (and are mappers, planners or controllers) can see what a map is going to look like to someone who is colour blind - so that we can at least try to make changes to the cartography to mitigate the problem? E.g. could someone produce an alternative version of the OCAD colour table that reproduces, for those of us who aren't colour blind, what the map will look like to someone who is colour blind?

great question - I would like to see it too, if it can be done

[AndyC]

A very quick google shows several including http://colorfilter.wickline.org/

[superstartradesman]

Is there any way that those of us who aren't colour blind (and are mappers, planners or controllers) can see what a map is going to look like to someone who is colour blind - so that we can at least try to make changes to the cartography to mitigate the problem? E.g. could someone produce an alternative version of the OCAD colour table that reproduces, for those of us who aren't colour blind, what the map will look like to someone who is colour blind?

I'd normally recommend Vischeck*, which simulates a range of colour deficit conditions. It can take a URL of a web page or an uploaded image as input:

http://www.vischeck.com/vischeck/

* except that it didn't seem to be working when I checked today!