siegman@sierra.Stanford.EDU (Anthony E. Siegman) (03/22/90)
Some weeks ago I posted a request for information on interfaces
between TeX and Braille, or any other output devices for the blind.
The following is a summary of all the messages I received.
I'm sorry -- I can't serve as a contact point for any further
messages. Please post to the Info-Mac Digest or comp.text.tex, as
seems appropriate.
--A. E. Siegman (siegman@sierra.stanford.edu)
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From: Gerhard Weber <weber%informatik.uni-stuttgart.de@RELAY.CS.NET>
Date: Thu, 8 Mar 90 09:05:34 +0100
To: siegman@SIERRA.STANFORD.EDU
Subject: Using tex for braille output
Cc: weber%informatik.uni-stuttgart.de@RELAY.CS.NET
Dear Anthony:
Our blind students of the department of computer science are using
tex. Your question is not clear to me:
1) Do you think of a braille font that is printed (e.g. laser printer,
howtek tactile graph master) and then made tactile (e.g. with swell
paper)?
2) Do you think of "unstripping" the tex file (this is done here by
the students)
3) Do you think of accessing the preview screen in an interactive
manner by the blind user (we are using a (selfmade) hardcopy program
and braille printers as well as our pin-matrix device)?
I am forwarding your message to Prof. Jurgensen at London, Ontario who
gives tex his blind students also (helmut@uwovax.bitnet)
Gerhard
Gerhard Weber weber@ifi.informatik.uni-stuttgart.dbp.de
Universitaet Stuttgart
Institut fuer Informatik Tel.: +49 (711) 121-1404
Azenbergstr. 12 Fax: +49 (711) 121-1346
D-7000 Stuttgart 1S
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From: Tony Siegman <siegman@>
To: Gerhard Weber <weber%informatik.uni-stuttgart.de@RELAY.CS.NET>
Subject: Re: Using tex for braille output
In-Reply-To: Your message of Thu, 8 Mar 90 09:05:34 +0100
Dear Prof. Weber:
The question arose because I will (for the first time) have a blind
student in an undergraduate electromagnetic theory course next
semester who will need to have materials converted into braille.
I have done a large book and many other things in TeX and routinely
use it for class notes and the like, and in discussing this with him
the question arose whether TeX could be printed in braille.
From my conversation with him, I think he/we would be very interested
in information on all three of the output modes you mentioned: raised
paper "braille printing", TeX source stripping (I assume you mean
taking out all the \ commands), and tactile device output (which is
familiar to us because of Professor John Linvill's "Opticon" device).
Any references or information you can send will be much appreciated.
--Prof. A. E. Siegman (siegman@sierra.stanford.edu)
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From: Helmut Jurgensen <helmut@csd.uwo.ca>
Date: Thu, 8 Mar 90 08:59:41 EST
To: helmut@csd.uwo.ca (CC for H. Jurgensen), siegman@sierra.stanford.edu,
weber%ifistg@unido.bitnet
Subject: Braille from TeX
It is very difficult (see Arrabito and Jurgensen, J. Electronic Publ.
1, 1988, 117--131). If it just concerns text (without mathematics) a
standard translator will do if you strip out the control sequences.
But with fancy stuff like mathematics, tables, etc. there is no
universal solution so far. The paper discusses the difficulties and
also gives a few references to simliar attempts.
I don't know what shape our "prototype" is in right now (it has never
been stable and completely functional) but it is worth checking with
Robert Arrabito (robbie@csd.uwo.ca). However, I am afraid we may not
be of much help immediately.
Yours sincerely, Helmut Jurgensen
Helmut Jurgensen
Professor
Department of Computer Science
The University of Western Ontario
London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 5B7
phone: (519)661-3560
FAX: (519)661-3292
TELEX: TEL LDN 064 7134
helmut@julian.uucp
helmut@uwo.ca
helmut@uwovax.bitnet
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Date: Mon, 12 Mar 90 15:52:08 -0800
From: jsmith@janus.Berkeley.EDU (J. Steve Smith)
Message-Id: <9003122352.AA00409@janus.Berkeley.EDU>
To: siegman@sierra.stanford.edu
Subject: Braille output of mathmatics
I noticed your request for info about converting tex files to Braille.
I am fairly well connected into the blind community ( being the author
of Flipper, a screen reading program for IBM PC's ) and I am
reasonably sure that such a conversion program does not exist. I
would certainly like to hear of any such programs.
Raised Dot Computing sells some much more basic facilities for
outputting Neimith (SP?) code (math code standard for Braille.) but
they are very limited compared to a translator such as you describe.
I have several friends who are blind mathematicians, and they
generally use greatly modified personal codes for their own notes.
Have you considered giving the blind student the raw TeX input in
computer format? He could then use the computer for access, or he
could Braille the raw TeX file into computer Braille which might be as
readable as any other encoding. You should also ask the student if he
knows of methods he could use to access the material. He may prefer
to use a reader for the mathmatical portions.
John Stephen Smith
P. S. I am an assistant professor at UC Berkeley in quantum
electronics, and I am familiar with your book. I haven't actually had
a blind student in one of my classes, however!
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Date: Wed, 14 Mar 90 11:53:21 CST
From: delliott@cec2.wustl.edu (Dave Elliott)
Message-Id: <9003141753.AA27972@cec2.wustl.edu>
To: siegman@sierra.stanford.edu
Subject: Re: Braille Output from TeX?
Subject: Re: Braille Output from TeX?
Newsgroups: comp.text.tex
Organization: Washington University, St. Louis, MO
Your project deserves a response! This is all I know:
IBM Atlanta has a computers-for-handicapped project, and some years
ago IBM made a braille printer... worth a try.
The US General Services Administration in Washington, DC has an
office for such services also.
The National Science Foundation has a program called FAH
(Facilitation Awards for Handicapped Scientists and Engineers) whose
purpose is to reduce barriers to participation by disabled faculty,
staff, and student research assistants -- it applies to work on almost
any NSF project, as a supplement to an existing grant or a component
of a new proposal. Call Lola Rogers at NSF.
There might be a possibility of getting funding to develop software
for this purpose, also... from SEE or CISE directorates.
Come to think of it, there was an item (in BYTE?) about a new
printer (laser?) which produces raised characters and lines on a
special plastic "paper"-- certainly producing Braille dot characters
from TeX makes sense.
Please let me know what happens... and I'll pass it on to my
University's coordinater for such services.
David L. Elliott
Dept. of SSM, Washington University
St. Louis, MO 63130. (314)-889-6092
FAX (314)-726-4434 delliott@CEC1.WUSTL.EDU
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cc of the above emailed to:
weber%informatik.uni-stuttgart.de@RELAY.CS.NET, helmut@csd.uwo.ca,
weber%ifistg@unido.bitnet ,helmut@csd.uwo.ca,
jsmith@janus.Berkeley.EDU, delliott@CEC1.WUSTL.EDU