Providing Nemeth Braille for Students in Graduate and
Providing Nemeth Braille for Students in Graduate and Undergraduate Courses with Advanced Math Accessing Higher Ground 2014 11/20/2014 2/15/2022 University of Wisconsin–Madison 1
Scenario A student or students enroll in a group of advanced engineering/math/stats courses. There approximately 5000 pages of various print materials for the semester that are math intensive and contain complex equations. The students are blind, are requesting (Nemeth) Braille. You have not done this before. 2/15/2022 University of Wisconsin–Madison 2
Go! What do you do? What is your reaction? Do you immediately think dollars and cents? 4000 Pp * 4 Bp/Pp * $6/Bp = $96, 000 2/15/2022 University of Wisconsin–Madison 3
Todd Schwanke Mc. Burney Disability Resource Center
Objectives 1) Reduce your learning curve and increase confidence 2) Provide some next steps, work flows, tools, and strategies 3) Discuss and generate ideas about how we might get to a more ideal solution in the future 4) Save you more time down the road than you invested in attending today 5) Time for questions and discussion at the end 2/15/2022 University of Wisconsin–Madison 5
Disclaimers • Not the ultimate expert • Do not have all the answers/solutions • Initial sharing effort, hopefully more to come • Not a Braille reader • Focusing on the accommodation perspective & production quality • Believe in Nemeth Braille as an important tool for studying math • Each situation likely different • Hope for a comprehensive, coordinated effort to make the ideal solution a reality • Options/systems/tools are evolving • Mix of ideal vs. current systems 2/15/2022 University of Wisconsin–Madison 6
My Experience • Started with idealistic view • Encouraged by availability of structured content • Tried different tools and work-flows • Wanted to build a responsive, scalable solution and leverage finite transcriber resources • Encountered the limitations of the technology & existing systems • Returned to reliance on transcribers 2/15/2022 University of Wisconsin–Madison 7
Getting Started • Start early • Assess (see subsequent slides) • Careful of the technology hype • Prepare administrators • Connect with a reputable transcribing agency • Staff sufficiently • Leverage student help • Check repositories • (Use a structured math format when possible and keep the source files) 2/15/2022 University of Wisconsin–Madison 8
Background Structured Math • Math. Type (MTEF) – Math. Type example screen shots • La. Te. X – La. Te. X example on Wikipedia • Math. ML – (XML based) Math. ML example on Wikipedia • OOML (Microsoft Equation Editor) • Nemeth Braille – Nemeth Braille numbers on Wikipedia 2/15/2022 University of Wisconsin–Madison 9
Assess Faculty & materials Student Professionals in the field 2/15/2022 University of Wisconsin–Madison 10
Faculty & materials assessment • What? • What parts? • Required, optional, reference? • When will it be available? • Will it be revised? • How much math & how complicated? • Order and due date? • Syllabus? • Class format? • Assignments & assessment? • Do they use Math. Type? La. Te. X? • Software used in class and projects? • Course learning objectives 2/15/2022 University of Wisconsin–Madison 11
Student Assessment & Planning a. Current knowledge and skills are present i. Nemeth reading proficiency ii. Nemeth and other math writing iii. Conversion/translation tools and skills iv. Tactile graphics skills v. Reader skills b. Agreeing on expectations, establishing a partnership i. Turnaround time vs. quality ii. What is to be converted iii. Graphics iv. Embossed or refreshable Braille display v. What tools student has and needs to get vi. What skills student will acquire vii. How to deal with subsequent content changes viii. How to back translate & turn in completed work ix. When to rely on a reader, assistant, transcriber 2/15/2022 University of Wisconsin–Madison 12
Conversations with expert end users • Presentation motivation • Historical use of audio and readers • Use of Nemeth • Use of La. Te. X & Infty. Reader 2/15/2022 University of Wisconsin–Madison 13
Essential Components Quality Source Capable AT (Valid Structure & Formatting) (Plug-In or “Library”) Accurate Transcription/Tr anslation Supported and Compliant Viewer/Reader/Br owser 2/15/2022 University of Wisconsin–Madison 14
Accommodated Braille production vs. Accessible Braille production workflows • Embossed Braille • Word with Math. Type for Duxbury translation • Word with Math. Type for direct consumption • Tactile graphics 2/15/2022 University of Wisconsin–Madison 15
Ideal Process for Production Obtain Materials 2/15/2022 Format & Structure University of Wisconsin–Madison Read in Braille 16
Current Process for Production Obtain Materials 2/15/2022 Format & Structure Schedule Transcribe & Proof University of Wisconsin–Madison Read in Braille 17
Ideal Process for Assessment Materials & Collaboration Write assignment (print) Read feedback (Braille) Complete assignment (Braille) Comment (print) 2/15/2022 Turn in assignment (print) University of Wisconsin–Madison 18
Current Process for Assessment Materials & Collaboration Write assignment (print) Read feedback (Braille) Transcribe & Proof Complete assignment (Braille) Transcribe & Proof Backtranslate & Proof Comment (print) Turn in assignment (print) 2/15/2022 University of Wisconsin–Madison 19
Ideal Overview • Seamless flow to and from Braille from in various structured math formats, for reading, homework, collaboration, research, exams • Universal audience • Eliminating DSS and transcriber bottle necks • Accurate back translation • Travels at the speed of higher education 2/15/2022 University of Wisconsin–Madison 20
Initial Workflow Original content > preprocessing > automated translation > transcriber clean-up Preprocessing involved putting math into structured formats (Math. Type or La. Te. X), tweaking based on known translation limitations, adding indicators for examples/theorems/etc. , flagging problem areas for transcriber, adding figure descriptions Preprocessing includes making source ready for Duxbury Unexpected finding – Document could be too accessible/structured for translators to work properly. 2/15/2022 University of Wisconsin–Madison 21
Subsequent Workflow Original content > preprocessing lite > transcriber/agency Preprocessing involved writing figure descriptions, adding notes where content was ambiguous, checking for errors 2/15/2022 University of Wisconsin–Madison 22
Nemeth Braille Transcription Experience a) Small field & hiring challenging b) Quality varies tremendously c) Field is very low-tech d) Not prepared for structured content e) Long lead times f) Reserving capacity difficult g) Secondary repositories h) Benefits to working with a larger agency 2/15/2022 University of Wisconsin–Madison 23
Challenges in HE & Advanced Math a. Variety of materials used b. Availability of final materials c. Volume of material d. Fuzzy edge of what should be converted e. Rapid rate of the classes f. Difficulty level exceeding the tools capabilities g. Transcriber lead time and syncing with materials availability h. Variability in student skills i. Few books already in Nemeth 2/15/2022 University of Wisconsin–Madison 24
In Review & Recommendations 1) Where you go after “Getting Started” can vary and affects tools needed. 2) Student Assessment & Planning can affect tools and systems selected 3) Sending content out for transcription early/initially can be an advisable strategy. Can always bring some production back in house later. 4) Capability to use screen reader with Braille display in Word with Math. Type documents may be near 2/15/2022 University of Wisconsin–Madison 25
After “Getting Started” • Getting quotes and sending materials for transcription • Establishing contract vendors • Deciding what to do in house • Purchasing and setting up technology • Training • Running examples • Student preparation • Setting up tracking systems • Hiring • Working with faculty to get content and set timelines • Working on software related to the class 2/15/2022 University of Wisconsin–Madison 26
Tools for production a. Duxbury (Math. Type and La. Te. X translation, embossing) b. Math. Type c. CAT (from Central Access) (pre-flight for Duxbury) c. Infty. Reader (scan/OCR/edit content with math) d. Braille embossers & tactile graphics makers a. Braille 2000 (reviewing files from transcribers, embossing) b. Scientific Notebook c. La. Te. X editors d. Math. Type to La. Te. X converters e. La. Te. X to Math. Type converters 2/15/2022 University of Wisconsin–Madison 27
Tools for students a. Duxbury (Math. Type & La. Te. X translation) b. Math. Type c. Braille Display d. Chatty Infty (math editor with speech) b. La. Te. X c. Lean Math d. Nemetex (Nemeth to La. Te. X translation) e. Braille notetakers & Braille display (notetaking and working problems) 2/15/2022 University of Wisconsin–Madison 28
Resources • High Tech Center Training Unit (HTCTU) – procedure write -ups • NFB Blindmath listserv • CWU (Central Washington University) Central Access tools • AHG sessions! • ATHEN listserv • Bookshare? 2/15/2022 University of Wisconsin–Madison 29
Finding a way forward and conclusions a. Reliance on transcribers in the short-term b. Possible improvements from UEB (Unified English Braille) c. Most non-transcriber activity in Word + Math. Type d. Need for a comprehensive, coordinated effort to create end-to- end accessible solutions, to fill in the gaps, and remove the top -end limits e. Transcribers finding their niche/role in new workflows f. Universities sharing of workflows, strategies, best practices, student expectations, etc. g. Improved repositories 2/15/2022 University of Wisconsin–Madison 30
Questions & Discussion 1) Sample scenarios 2) How do we come together in an efficient/effective manner to solve some of the current challenges? 3) What is the best location to post and share info about best practices and workflows? 4) How do we encourage Braille organizations and vendors to come together in a coordinated, innovative fashion to fill the gaps and fix the issues in order to move away from an accommodation model? 2/15/2022 University of Wisconsin–Madison 31
My Contact Info Todd Schwanke 608 -263 -2741 tschwanke@studentlife. wisc. edu 2/15/2022 University of Wisconsin–Madison 32
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