New environment for visually disabled students to access scientific information by combining speech interface and tactile graphics

Abstract

We recently developed a math document editor with a function of speech output. Using this software named "Chattylnfty," visually disabled students not only can read scientific documents including math expressions with speech output but also can author or edit them. One of remarkable features of Chattylnfty is its availability of recognition results by our math OCR system. By combining them, we construct a system to enable students with visual disabilities to access scientific documents in print for themselves. Furthermore, using tactile graphic tools, we realize an environment in which they can grasp and correct recognition errors without any aid of sighted people. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2006.