The tactile map uses different pieces of textured paper to delineate obstacles like railings, bushes and fences. A legend on the side of the map helps visually impaired users determine not only what each piece of texture represents, but also the colour. Although confident in her own long-cane skills, Lois Lawrie, president of the Tactile Colour Communication Society (Canada), said blindness usually creates problems. So she created a map of downtown Victoria (Canada), using the international tactile colour system. Lawrie lost her sight 22 years ago, but learned to navigate bigger, more confusing cities. "I got very good training having come from cities in Europe. But that's not the same story for everybody," she said. Lawrie is hoping that the map will signal well-meaning pedestrians that the visually impaired user is making out fine on their own. The map easily folds and can be carried in a bag. There are also Braille and raised-print versions.