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Fall
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Holly Cooper, Ph.D., Texas Deafblind Project, TSBVI
Abstract: This article is a brief overview of some current braille technology which manages Nemeth code. New features available in widely used blindness technologies make the production of Nemeth and Nemeth to print translation easier, but still problematic.
Keywords: braille, nemeth code, braille math, nemeth code translation
Educational institutions are some of the biggest consumers of blindness related technology products today, but most products are still developed with the needs of adult blind users as the standard which the products aim to address. Since the use of mathematics notation in the everyday life of most adults using technology is limited, many of these technology products include few math related features. Most note-takers and braille translation software applications allow users to directly input any characters via braille keyboard or 6 key home row entry (letters s, d, f for dots 3, 2 and 1, and j, k, l for dots 4, 5 and 6.) However, translation of print characters to Nemeth Code and back translation of Nemeth Code to print which can be easily read and understood by a math teacher is very limited. Since most students in grades kindergarten through twelve, and many in the first two years of college, participate in some type of mathematics instruction every day, math notation in braille and translation between braille and print is an on-going daily need. Much of this work is still carried out manually by teachers of students with visual impairments (TVI’s) and braillists. When students leave the relatively more supportive setting of public school for the more independent setting of college, there may be no one with braille skills to help with translation. However some technologies are including more features related to Nemeth Code and math. This article is an attempt to survey some of the more commonly used technologies in public schools in Texas and the math related features they include.
Computers were originally developed for mathematics calculation; they were intended for use as “number crunching machines.” Only later in their development did computers include the capability for handling text. Early computers were programmed by writing specific words, variables and operators in programming languages which looked much like math notation written out in linear sentences.
Braille translation software interfaces well with word processing software. Text can be imported or copied and pasted from word processing documents to braille translation software, and translated with the click of a menu choice. However, most such software treats numbers as literary characters and do not translate them into Nemeth Code, but literary braille. For a braille translation program to treat these characters differently, the user must indicate the characters are math. In addition, many word processors don’t offer the variety of mathematical operation characters needed even by middle school math students.
Characters such as superscripts (exponents), subscripts (algebra), fractions containing variables and operators, and geometry symbols are sometimes difficult to manage in word processors. In addition, science uses equations and notations which may be more spatial and less linear in their presentation of information. Molecular diagrams, for instance represent the structure of atoms in a molecule. The methods of displaying such information on computers use the languages LaTeX, XML and MathML to tell the computer how to display the numbers and characters on the screen in a format visually familiar to scientists and mathematicians. XML and MathML developers were interested primarily in displaying visually correct math and science notation on the internet. These systems use a code which looks a lot like HTML, the computer language used to lay out web pages. Just as you no longer have to know HTML to create a web page since we have software to do that for us, you don’t really have to understand what LaTeX or XML is and how to use it to create math and science pages. One of the more commonly used commercially available computer software applications used to generate math and science work is Scientific Notebook. Scientific Notebook is a math editing tool much like a word processor which includes menus from which you can select numbers, mathematical operators, Greek characters and a variety of other special symbols. Scientific Notebook generates LaTex files which are displayed in a familiar mathematical layout. Other editing software such as MathType is used to generate MathML and XML formatted files.
Duxbury Braille Translation software (DBT) versions 10.4 and later will translate LaTeX files. Usually these are created using Scientific Notebook. Completed files can be imported into DBT and translated into grade two braille and Nemeth Code. It is usually necessary for a knowledgeable braillist to check the braille file for accuracy, and to correct character errors with 6 key entry before embossing the final document. Back translation from Nemeth to print is not consistent in DBT at this time. In addition, Scientific Notebook is not accessible to blind users with screen reading software such as JAWS.
MegaDots 2.3 has an integrated data entry/translation system called MegaMath, which produces Nemeth Code. The data entry is not graphical, and you cannot generate a print copy of the math notation. However, with some practice, it can be a very efficient way of entering a broad range of mathematical symbols. MegaMath is built into each copy of MegaDots 2.3, and does not cost extra. MegaMath does not provide a usable print copy and is less user friendly than DBT. It is accessible to both sighted and blind users.
Although Scientific Notebook is not accessible to blind users, Metroplex Voice Computing has a voice recognition package called MathTalk/Scientific Notebook with a read-back feature, which will allow blind users to access many of the Scientific Notebook features, including producing a print and Braille copy of their results.
Braille 2000 is a braille translation software we see used less frequently in Texas than Duxbury and Megadots, but it is becoming more well known here. The current version of Braille 2000 allows direct 6 key entry of Nemeth code and will display an on-screen back translation of braille into print for proofreading. This visual display shows typographically correct math expressions when brailling in Nemeth, but Nemeth to print output is not available. Print to Nemeth translation is also not currently available in Braille 2000, but developers are working on a subset of Nemeth to be available in upcoming versions. Braille 2000 does not import Scientific Notebook files, but work is in progress for Nemeth translation of XML.
Aside from using the Perkins or other manual braille production methods, the Mountbatten Brailler is one way for blind students to produce math in a tactual format they can read themselves. With the new Mountbatten Learning Center model, users can use the keyboard to directly write braille in Nemeth code using a horizontal or a vertical format. Nemeth braille entry does yield accurate voice output of numbers and operators, but back translation from Nemeth to print is not currently available. Using an attached computer keyboard with the Mountbatten in forward emboss mode does not produce accurate Nemeth.
Both BrailleNote and PAC Mate are not currently able to produce braille to print translations of Nemeth files. Some users and teachers produce usable print files by using selected computer braille symbols instead of standard Nemeth code symbols. With these symbols, a math teacher without knowledge of braille can read the student’s math work by drawing on commonalities between math notation and computer programming languages.
BrailleNote introduced a Nemeth tutorial program in the spring of 2007. This program is accessed via the BrailleNote, and teaches users the basics of Nemeth code via the braille display and voice output features of the BrailleNote. Presented in a self-paced set of learning modules, the tutorial guides the users step by step through Nemeth Code from beginner to college level mathematics. Designed for adults who may have had only minimal access to Nemeth braille instruction, it could be used by younger students with support from a knowledgeable teacher. Educators supporting students learning math can also benefit from the tutorial. This tutorial is not intended to teach mathematical concepts, only knowledge of the code.
The Tiger embosser produces math using the same software as other braille printers. In addition it can utilize files generated in MathType. MathType is an equation editor bundled with both MS Word and Corel WordPerfect. A separate professional version of MathType is also available. Similar to Scientific Notebook, it is used by sighted scientists, engineers, and educators to author documents that include equations. Files generated by MathType can be exported in LaTeX and MathML documents. These files can them be used to emboss documents in Nemeth or DotsPlus (at tactual spacial math format) using the Tiger software. Currently, MathType is only accessible to sighted users.
Braille 2000
www.braille2000.com
MacKichan Software, Inc. (Scientific Notebook)
www.mackichan.com
Duxbury Systems, Inc (Duxbury and Megadots)
www.duxburysystems.com
Metroplex Voice Computing
www.metroplexvoice.com
Design Science (MathType)
www.dessci.com/en/products/MathType
TSBVI Mathematics website
www.tsbvi.edu/math/index.htm
Freedom Scientific (PAC Mate)
www.freedomscientific.com/index.html
ViewPlus (Tiger Embossers)
www.viewplus.com
Humanware (BrailleNote)
www.humanware.com/en-usa/home
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Last Revision: December 11, 2007