[Blindmath] Need advice on Braille code editing for book

[Bernard M Diaz]

Hi Corinne,

This response would have been off Blindmath list, but you do
not provide an email contact address in your contact info.

An answer depends on what cost, for you and your readers, you are
prepared to incur. This suggestion works, but is neither really
convenient nor cheap ...

I'd suggest using IVEO (a touch sensitive screen system) linked
to a computer with pages generated by the "Tiger System", or
"bubble paper".  The "generation software" produces a file that
is interpreted by the IVEO device such that when the reader
puts their finger in an area, Jaws says something. The finger
is guided, of course, by dots drawn using Tiger, or "lines"
etc toasted onto bubble paper by a toaster device, and the logic
of a guiding diagram (that may or may not be tactile).  Overall
cost, about £7,000 UK, to have a system that generates the
files, and about £1,000 UK to have the systems that can utilise
the result. (I ignore Jaws costs ...)

However, the real cost comes in the skills etc required to do
the necessary capture of the Braille in the alternative and
more "pictorial" 2D form that "New Programmed Instruction in Braille"
would require (but I'm guessing based on your brief description).
I'd cost that at about £20 UK per page for initial cost, then
approximately £2 UK per page subsequently - depending on the
actual content and skill levels required. (I'm sorry I do not
really know what your final intentions is - mass production or
a one off ...?)

This system setup works and is used in my department at the
University of Liverpool where we had 2 blind students that
made the costs involved, effective.
[As an aside, I used this to produce a brief (toy; one page to
trial the idea) Braille/voice/Moon (Rosetta stone like) introduction
to maths expressions in Nemeth ... The problem was the speed
at which Jaws said what was in Braille/Moon (too fast) and my
utter lack of skill in ANY of these areas ...]

First step then, find someone who has the necessary artistic
skills and who understands the issues - and is prepared to
do the generation. Training, and training by doing it is
next, then spreading that to anyone that needs to generate
teaching materials (the teachers?) - but you didn't ask
about any of that ...

Kind regards - Bernard Diaz

Lankford, Corinne wrote:
> Good morning everyone!
> 
> Our office is currently converting & editing a book for a student,
> New Programmed Instruction in Braille, which has Braille codes in
> each chapter.  We don't want to delete them of course but we are
> trying to figure how to make it readable for JAWS.  Some of the
> Braille codes are in text boxes and some of them are picture images
> (hope that make sense).  We do have Duxbury software that we might
> try to type in the information and then copy and paste the Braille
> translated codes into the Word document of the book.  We need advice
> and opinion on the best way to handle this.
> 
> Thanks!  Corinne
> 
> Corinne Lankford EAD Disability Services Specialist New office title
> name:  "Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, and Disability
> Services Department" Vanderbilt University
> 
> GPS Address:        110 21st Ave. S., Nashville, TN 37203 Office
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> Website:       www.vanderbilt.edu/ead
> 
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