[Blindmath] Question about doing math in notepad

[Ben Humphreys]

Dear Daria,

Given the lateness of the hour, many of the solutions proposed are 
not going to work very well for you right away.

If you're comfortable with Notepad and can enlist the cooperation of 
your instructur, I'd like to propose a "home-grown" "quick-and-dirty" 
solution which will buy you some time.  Here is what I was thinking:

1.  Type your equations in notepad
2.  Replace x squared with x^2, x-cubed with x^3, etc.
3.  Replace square root sign with sqrt
4.  Use parenthesis to clarify what sqrt is referring to
5.  Usethe following characters for your operators: < > <= >= = and 
<> as you would in a programming language
6. Use the greek words instead of the symbols, so "pi" instead of 
trying to insert a pie symbol.
6.  And here's the interesting part: Add a series of dictionary 
definitions for Notepad (using JAWS Ins+D command) for the above.  For example:

"^2" becomes "squared"
"^3" becomes "cubed"
"^4" becomes "to the 4th power"
"<>" becomes "is not equal to"
"<=" becomes "less than or equal to"
"sqrt" becomes "the square root of"
"-" becomes "minus" (instead of the usual "dash")

This way, when you have JAWS speak the current line, it will read it 
like a human would.
7.  Another way to keep things clear is to insert a new line in 
strategic places such as after an equal sign.  For example:

x^2 + 4 = 2x - 7

would be easier to read as

x^2 + 4
=
2x - 7
8.  For division, I'd put the numerator on the first line, the 
characters "---" on the 2nd line and the denominator on the 
third.  Further, I'd setup a dictionary definition for "---" to say 
"divided by"

If you and your instructor could agree on a small number of rules 
like this, you could easily exchange homework assignments and tests 
in this way without any conversion necessary.  Just use a small 
travel printer to print in class or e-mail via wifi.

This approach will buy you some time and allow you to develop an 
appreciation for the more sophisticated solutions.And if you don't 
plan to spend any more time than necessary in a math class of the 
future, then it's probably "good enough."

Ben

At 05:56 PM 8/21/2011, you wrote:
>Hi,
>Just a small problem that needs to be taken in to considderation...
>Bit of info number one: I go to a private school which does not have 
>a TVI of any type.
>Bit of info number two: Braille displays aren't cheap. The only 
>thingI have is an 18 cell RefreshaBraille18 from Aph.
>Last bit of info: I start school tomorrow and I'm using a computer 
>for everything else. While I have a braille writer it's hard to find 
>people willing to read math problems and such.
>I don't mean to be rude but this is what all of the college students 
>in my Ncabs group seem to be learning or using competently as the 
>case maybe. If I let this wait and only learn it a few months before 
>college when nerves are strung as tight as whip-cord and Dsb is 
>giving me grief because I need more technology than most because I 
>am partially deaf with a fairly good chance of being profoundly deaf 
>by 35 well... I don't think not learning would be a good idea right now.
>Thank you and I'm sorry if I come across a bit more strongly than 
>perhaps I intend for in truth it is not my intention at all. I just 
>want people to understand that I am not working on a mainstream 
>public school system neither am I making my stand on a field that is 
>level by comparison with what you can think of as just plain vanilla 
>blind although there aren't many of those around.
>Again I'm sorry if I come over a bit harsh but this is something 
>everyone, not just blind people but anyone else with a disability 
>needs to understand. We don't all play the same game, we don't do 
>the same things with our lives, and we most certainly don't get the 
>option of saying that there is one way and only one way to do a thing.
>Daria
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Susan Jolly" <easjolly at ix.netcom.com>
>To: <blindmath at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Sunday, August 21, 2011 4:44 PM
>Subject: [Blindmath] Question about doing math in notepad
>
>
>>Hi Dasha,
>>
>>If you are in high school you shouldn't need to know anything 
>>except Nemeth. Your TVI should be interlining your work so you can 
>>focus on understanding math.
>>
>>Alternatively, I would suggest that you learn to use Nemetex, which 
>>was developed by a blind high school student now attending 
>>college.  This program automatically converts Nemeth algebra and 
>>other Nemeth math that you enter using a braille display to LaTeX 
>>so a sighted person can read it.
>>
>>http://www.accessisoft.com/
>>
>>Best wishes,
>>Susan Jolly
>>
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>
>
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