PDF Print E-mail

OUR EXPERIENCE

Our combined experience in blindness education and graphic design and cartography significantly distinguishes us from all other tactile mapmakers. We have 28 years of direct experience teaching orientation and mobility skills to blind and deafblind adults. This intimate understanding of the needs of blind and deafblind travelers is combined with over 20 years of experience custom-designing specialty maps for the blind.

Our visual and tactile symbols have been developed over many years, and are based upon feedback from low vision, blind and deafblind users. Visual and tactile information is presented clearly, identifying important landmarks which can assist in orientation, and doing so in a way that avoids both tactile and visual clutter.



A partial list of previous clients includes:

  • El Camino College
  • Long Beach City College
  • University of Georgia
  • University of Tennessee
  • The International Spy Museum
  • New York University
  • Cerritos College
  • Lavelle School for the Blind
  • The Helen Keller National Center
  • The California School for the Blind
  • Bayside Area and Special Services Library for the Visually Impaired (Virginia Beach)
  • The Childrens’ Museum of Indianapolis
  • Queens College
  • Guiding Eyes for the Blind
  • Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind (Seabeck)
  • Porterville College (CA)
  • Minnesota State Services for the Blind
  • New York State Commission f/t Blind and Visually Handicapped... and many others.


    InTouch Graphics Team


    Joe Cioffi, M.Ed., President

    Joe has been a private consultant in deaf-blindness education for the past 28 years, with expertise in Orientation and Mobility techniques for the deafblind and blind. He has also been a designer of tactile maps for the past 20 years. He currently provides deafblindness consulting and training nationally and internationally, and offers private instruction to children and adults in Minnesota. He has published various articles and book chapters on Usher syndrome and Orientation and Mobility, and has taught and lectured extensively in the United States and abroad. RESUME


    Curt Micka- Marketing/Consulting

    Curt Micka is a long time advocate for the interests of people with disabilities. As an attorney with the MN Disability Law Center, he represented deaf and deafblind individuals, including those with mental health and employment-related challenges, in their quest to receive services enabling them to lead productive and independent lives in their local communities.  He continues this work through the MN Department of Human Services, as a mediator with the MN Special Education Mediation Services program, and a consultant for InTouch Graphics and VisiPrint.


    Phil Agee- Technology Specialist

    Phil joins InTouch Graphics after serving most recently as Chief Technology Officer and Senior Software Architect for startup ventures in the entertainment and insurance industries. He got his technology start in the early days of the Internet as a software developer in the financial services industry, where he participated in the construction of real-time market data applications. He went on to provide technology consulting services to the education sector and non-profit community, mostly in the development of data-driven web sites. While specializing in databases and web application architecture, Phil brings expertise in all facets of enterprise level technologies from requirements analysis, software design and modeling to project management and secure infrastructures for large scale, consumer web sites.


    Allison O'Day- Braille proofreader

    Allison O’Day is a Library of Congress certified braille proofreader, receiving certification in 1988.  She is employed at the State of MN as a Braille Specialist. She is also employed by the National Federation of the Blind as a proofreader of the Literary Braille Transcribing Course Lessons.  She works with over 100 students working toward receiving Literary Braille Certification.  In addition, Allison is currently serving on a committee to prepare guidelines and standards for the production of tactile graphics.


    Junn Matsuda- Designer

    Artist/graphic designer. Junn is a life-long artist and designer and has been freelancing for the last 5 years for a variety of companies. He has 10 years of experience designing many different types of graphics including logos, banners ads, corporate ID, etc, and specializes in map creation.