Digital maps are used to communicate generalized spatial information and relationships, yet are commonly made "accessible" using tables that lack geographic information. This study examines whether these tables and interactive text maps (ITMs) may be comparable to visual maps. Twenty sighted and 20 blind and low-vision individuals (BLVIs) performed tasks designed to compare visual maps, ITMs, and tables. Participants answered numeric, geographic, and combined numeric geographic questions using each representation, and performance, preference, and NASA-TLX were measured. Across both participant groups, map representations (visual and ITMs) significantly outperformed tables on geographic-based questions, while performance differences were minimal for numeric questions. For sighted participants, performance on geographic questions did not significantly differ between visual maps and ITMs, indicating that a larger powered study may find an "equivalent purpose" across these two conditions. Participants preferred map-based representations over tables. Perceived workload was highest for the ITM, intermediate for the visual map, and lowest for the table. Consistent with the Map Equivalent Purpose Framework, these findings indicate that Web Content Accessibility Guidelines-compliant ITMs can provide access to spatial information, unlike tables. These findings challenge prevailing accessibility practice that recommends tables lacking geographic information as map alternatives, and motivate reconsideration of accessibility legislation exempting digital thematic maps.

翻译：数字地图用于传达广义空间信息及空间关系，然而通常以缺乏地理信息的表格形式实现"无障碍访问"。本研究旨在探讨此类表格与交互文本地图（ITMs）是否可达到与视觉地图相当的效能。20名明眼人和20名盲人与低视力者（BLVIs）参与了旨在对比视觉地图、ITMs与表格的认知实验。受试者使用每种表征形式解答数值型、地理型及数值-地理复合型问题，并测量其任务表现、偏好程度及NASA-TLX工作负荷。在两组受试者中，地图表征（视觉地图与ITMs）在地理型问题上的表现显著优于表格，而数值型问题的表现差异极小。对于明眼人而言，视觉地图与ITMs在地理型问题上的表现无显著差异，表明通过更大规模的实证研究可能发现两者具有"等效功能"。受试者更偏好地图表征而非表格。感知工作负荷从高到低依次为：ITM、视觉地图、表格。与"地图等效功能框架"一致，研究结果表明符合网页内容无障碍指南（WCAG）的ITMs能够提供空间信息访问，而表格则无法实现。本发现挑战了当前将缺乏地理信息的表格作为地图替代物的主流无障碍实践，并促使重新审视对数字专题地图免除无障碍访问规定的相关立法。