This week I was at the ACP08 conference where I saw a presentation by Masakazu Suzuki and Katsuhito Yamaguchi on the new (forthcoming) versions of Infty and ChattyInfty which were demonstrated and which handle maths equations with a pretty high degree of accuracy (for example they always make it clear to distinguish between a + (b/c) and (a+b)/c which when written without brackets can be interchangeable in pronunciation). The new software also effectively OCRs and converts texts in Russian and Japanese, amongst many other languages, which implies to me that it will also recognise the symbols used in linguistics.
I have pasted below my signature their abstract if anyone is interested, and when I get their full presentation downloaded I will post it to the ACCESSMSOR list that Emma pointed you all towards.
Best wishes
Dr Simon Ball
Senior Advisor
JISC TechDis Service
Supporting the education sector in achieving greater accessibility and inclusion by stimulating innovation and providing expert advice and guidance on disability and technology.
[log in to unmask]
www.techdis.ac.uk
Skype: simontechdis
01904717580 / 07813917888
<START>
Multilingual Support in Infty Software
The math OCR system, "InftyReader" and the accessible math-document editor, "ChattyInfty" enable visually disabled people to access printed scientific materials. Blind individuals not only can read but also author scientific documents including complicated math expressions using ChattyInfty. Here, multilingual support in Infty software is mainly discussed.
As was reported in the ICCHP 2008 [Ref. 1], for instance, our research group, "Infty Project" and non-profit organization, "Science Accessibility Net" [Ref. 2] work on developing Assistive tools for visually disabled people such as a math OCR system and a math-document editor with a function of speech output.
Our OCR system for math documents, "InftyReader" [Ref.1, 2] can recognize scientific documents including complicated math expressions and convert them into various accessible formats such as LaTeX, MathML and so on. In the product version, the recognition rate on ordinary text parts is remarkably improved, by using three different OCR engines simultaneously: two commercial and Infty's own OCR engines. As the experimental results shows, most of commercial OCR software has a tendency to increase errors when recognizing ordinary text characters next to math expressions, even if it gives very high performance for ordinary texts without math expressions. Furthermore, they usually miss-recognize math expressions as ordinary texts. We implemented several algorithms to segment ordinary text parts and math expression parts. The combination of three OCR engines and those algorithms are very efficient in improving the recognition rate of InftyReader.
InftyReader can recognize Japanese, English and their mixtures. Currently, we are trying to include another OCR engine "FineReader" [Ref.3], in order to improve the recognition capability for mathematical documents written in different languages. This work is not straightforward even if we use high-performance engine of multilingual OCR like FineReader, because of the reason mentioned above. In this talk, we will present the current state of the art concerning the multilingual recognition capability of InftyReader.
The math-document editor, ChattyInfty [Ref. 1, 2] enables visually disabled people to access scientific documents with speech output. Information displayed on the main window of ChattyInfty is completely equivalent to that of InftyEditor for sighted people. All of math expressions are displayed in the ordinary print style. ChattyInfty reads aloud not only texts but also those math expressions. Visually disabled students can access, write or edit scientific documents including math expressions, with speech output.
Using "Speech Menu," users could change a manner of aloud reading for each of symbols and math syntaxes such as a fraction, super/subscripts and so on if it were preferable. In mathematics, some print symbols have several different names. "Reading Table Editor" allows users to change how to read out each symbol in both of the "Plain Reading" and the "Detailed Reading" modes. Since this assignment of aloud reading is contained in a table of XML format, "Infty2KR.xml," one can also edit that by making use of any other XML editors. The manner to read aloud math syntaxes can be edited with "Edit Math Reading" command in the Speech menu. This definition is stored in a text file, "MathReading.txt" that can be easily edited, too. For the present, we have given those definition files in both of Japanese and English.
If only two files, Infty2KR.xml and MathReading.txt were given, ChattyInfty would be able to read out math documents in that local language. However, it is difficult for us to proceed to this task alone. We are ready for a collaborative development with each local group who works on math accessibility.
<END>
-----Original Message-----
From: Quinn, Christine [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 05 November 2008 11:26
Subject: Re: Jaws
I'm also interested in how we can support students using symbols in linguistics too. Any ideas?
-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Emma Rowlett
Sent: 05 November 2008 11:25
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Jaws
When it comes to maths this is something that has been discussed in
the working group I helped set up -the AccessMSOR Working Group -
which looks at supporting visually impaired students in mathematics
based subjects. If anyone is interested in joining what is essentially
just a mailing list at this point then email my husband
[log in to unmask]
Thanks,
Emma
On 05/11/2008, E.A. Draffan <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> This has been a long standing problem as we all know but options are being
> developed and it may be useful to look at the Infty Project with OCR and a
> Reader http://www.inftyproject.org/en/index.html
>
>
> Best wishes E.A.
>
> Mrs E.A. Draffan
> Learning Societies Lab,
> ECS, University of Southampton,
> Tel +44 (0)23 8059 7246
> http://www.lexdis.ecs.soton.ac.uk
> http://www.emptech.info
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
> From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.
>
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Peter J Halls
> Sent: 05 November 2008 07:08
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Jaws
>
> John,
>
> if the document contains significant equations or other mathematical
> material, the source is most likely to be TeX, or one of its derivatives,
> rather
> than Word / OpenOffice Writer ... and, in such cases, there can be no .doc
> or
> .rtf format. In this case, PDF is pretty much the only (nearly) accessible
> format available. So far as I can see, we are a long way from achieving
> accessible maths.
>
> Peter
>
> John Conway wrote:
> > Well said.
> >
> > even truly accessible PDF are inaccessible to dyslexics who cannot change
> font face or colour schemes! One such student has just had to have a reader
> in an exam solely because the document supplied for use during the exam was
> only available as a PDF image and so she could not read it.
> >
> > surely it should be obligatory to supply the Word or RTF version????
> >
> >
> > Dr John S Conway BSc PhD FGS FRGS FHEA MNADP
> > Director, MSc International Rural Development
> > Director, BSc Countryside Management
> > Chair, Research Committee
> > Principal Lecturer : Soil Science
> > Disability Officer
> > Royal Agricultural college, Cirencester, Glos GL7 6JS
> > 01285 652531 fax 01285 650219
> >
> > ________________________________
> >
> > From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff. on
> behalf of Silver, Liz
> > Sent: Tue 04/11/2008 14:07
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Re: Jaws
> >
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > Following the replies you have already received, there are a couple of
> major factors being overlooked. First of all, even if the alternative
> technology such as Thunder can be loaded onto a memory stick, not all Jaws
> users will want to be having to use technology which is not as useful or
> flexible as Jaws, and will not want to have to learn how to use this new
> software. Secondly, even with a PDF file which is readable using Jaws, they
> are still a pain in all sorts of places as it is really difficult to
> actually search say for a specific word in the document and even if you can
> get over that hurdle, there is then no way of actually marking what you have
> found or adding any notes for future reference. Speaking as a Jaws user, as
> might be obvious, I think When told that something is only available in PDF
> the response should always be that it is required in Word or RTF etc and
> this is a reasonable adjustment and just having to cope with a PDF version
> is not acceptable. Rant ove
> r!
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Liz
> >
> > Liz Silver
> > Disability Officer
> > Student Support Services
> > Nottingham Trent University
> > Working Monday to Thursday
> > Phone: 0115 848 4495
> > Minicom: 18001 0115 848 4495
> > E-mail: [log in to unmask]
> >
> >
> > ________________________________
> >
> > From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Callaghan, Brigid
> > Sent: 03 November 2008 13:57
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Jaws
> >
> >
> >
> > Hello,
> >
> >
> >
> > Does anyone know of any developments in the assistive technology world for
> blind students? Is there any better package available than Jaws, which has
> fewer problems or none at all in fact with 'reading' PDF. Please remember in
> your reply that I not an experienced techie ; - ).
> >
> >
> >
> > Reply off list [log in to unmask]
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Many thanks
> >
> >
> >
> > ***********************************************************
> > Brigid Callaghan
> > Disability Adviser
> > Student Services
> > University of Bolton
> > Deane Rd
> > Bolton
> > BL3 5AB
> > [log in to unmask]
> > To make an appointment: 01204 903733.
> > Direct line: 01204 903803
> > Minicom: 01204 903490
> >
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> --
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ----
> Peter J Halls, GIS Advisor, University of York
> Telephone: 01904 433806 Fax: 01904 433740
> Snail mail: Computing Service, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD
> This message has the status of a private and personal communication
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--
Emma Jane Rowlett (née Wright)
School of Sociology and Social Policy
University of Nottingham
[log in to unmask]
www.accessingmaterials.org.uk
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