Landscape perception in visually impaired individuals : a case study of coastline landscape in altinordu district of ordu province

For a city to be livable, services aimed at disadvantaged groups, such as individuals with special needs, through social awareness are significant parameters. Disadvantaged groups in society should be able to use public spaces as comfortably as healthy individuals. The aim of this study is to identify how individuals with visual impairments perceive the coastal landscape of Altınordu District in Ordu Province using Grounded Theory and Cognitive Mapping methods. The research consists of two main stages. The first stage involves identifying how individuals with visual impairments perceive the coastal landscape of Altınordu District, gaining insight into how they experience the coastal landscape, and determining the sensory reference points they use in their perception of the landscape, all of which are carried out using the Grounded Theory method. The second stage includes measuring individuals' spatial reading abilities, determining the readability distributions, and identifying the sign elements, all of which are realized using the Cognitive Mapping method. In this context, information about the experiences of visually impaired individuals with the coastal area has been gathered, the sequence of sensory reference usage has been determined, how sensory references are transformed into spatial references and what these references are has been identified, and the connectivity of the senses has been illustrated in a network map. Through the cognitive maps of the participants, individuals' spatial reading abilities have been measured, readability distributions have been identified, and the rate of identifying sign elements has been determined. In this regard, since active participation of individuals with visual impairments in the design process and the development of spaces that allow for multi-sensory experiences are crucial, suggestions have been developed for the coastal areas. Keywords: Cognitive Mapping, Grounded Theory, Landmarks, Landscape Perception, Sensory References, Spatial Literacy, Visually Impaired