READING TEXT
When the map was wrong
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Sam volunteered to update a walking map for visitors to his coastal town. He assumed it would be a simple desk job: compare the old map with an online one, change a few street names and send the file to the printer. His neighbour Ruth, who used a walking frame, suggested that they test the route together first.
Within ten minutes, they found a problem. The map showed a smooth path beside the harbour, but a short section was covered in loose stones. Sam could cross it easily; Ruth could not. Further on, a public gate was locked even though the map marked it as open. The alternative route was longer but passed a café with an accessible toilet and several benches.
Sam's first response was to replace the old route with the alternative. Ruth disagreed. Some visitors would prefer the shorter path and could manage its surface. Others needed information about resting places more than distance. A single line marked "easy" would not help everyone.
The final map described the surfaces, gates and available facilities on both routes. It took longer to produce than Sam had expected. He had begun by trying to correct a map; he finished by questioning what a useful map should tell its readers.
