new developments in image and math content accessibility gaeir dietrich, director, high tech center...
TRANSCRIPT
New Developments in Image and Math Content Accessibility
Gaeir Dietrich, Director, High Tech Center Training Unit
Sue-Ann Ma, Product Manager, Benetech
November 19, 2014
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Agenda
● Introductions● Overview of Where Things Stand● Tools for Creating Accessible Content● Keeping Up with Updates● Questions
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Benetech (the Bookshare folks)
● 325,000 trade titles, textbooks and periodicals
● 320,000 members ● 500 publishing partners● 45 countries● 7 million ebooks downloaded ● http://bookshare.org
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The DIAGRAM Center
● Digital Image and Graphics Resources for Accessible Materials
● Make it easier, cheaper, and faster to create and use accessible digital images
● Free open source tools globally
● Partnership: Benetech, NCAM at WGBH, US Fund for DAISY
● http://diagramcenter.org
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High Tech Center Training Unit
● Provides training and resources on Web accessibility, assistive technology and alternate media
● Funded by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office
● Many resources on Web site, including training materials
● Runs listserv devoted to alternate media and AT:Register at: http://www.htctu.net/ > HTCTU Listservers > altmedia
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Challenge: The Need
30 million Americans with print disabilities
15-20% in U.S. have language-based disability
285 million people with vision impairment worldwide
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Challenge: Everyone’s a Content Creator
300 millionPotential authors & publishers in the US
$1.76 billionin new edtech financing in 2013
2,500% more expensive to retrofit for accessibility
from print (or print equivalents)
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STEM Content = Special Challenges
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New Technology Furthers Accessibility
● Image Descriptions● Tactile Graphic● 3D Objects● Accessible Math● Sonification● Interactives/Widgets
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Accessible Image Sample Book
● Free online resource with examples of accessible images, in full-page context
● Includes commentary on treatments and sample code
● EPUB3 and DAISY● Sample Book Webinar:
http://diagramcenter.org/webinars.html#aisb
● Sample book: http://diagramcenter.org/samplebook/titlepage.html
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Sample Image: Heart & Lungs
● Image description: provides basic accessibility to an image
● Tactile Graphic (2D): provides more information about spatial and physical relationships
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Poet Image Describer Tool
Poet: https://diagram.herokuapp.com/
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Image Description Hurdles
• Lack subject-matter expertise• Not familiar with image accessibility (subjective)• Variable levels of expertise across describers
Expertise
• Time to find references• Time to get trained up on best practices• Time & cost required to produce content• Cost-benefit: limited user reach when produced adhoc
Time & Cost
• Guidelines for a broad range of image types• Expert-generated descriptions (examples)• User-centric resources (hard to understand)
Lack of Training Content
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Training Module on Poet
Image Description Training Module: https://diagram.herokuapp.com/training/index
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When Words Are Not Enough
● Tactile graphics are tactile representations of graphics– Not exact copies; strip out extraneous details and focus on
what is required to understand content
– Needed a brief verbal description is insufficient
● Often needed for…– Charts
– Diagrams and schematics
– Maps
● Subjects most likely– STEM
– Geography
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Guidance
● DIAGRAM Sample book has excellent examples
● BANA Tactile Graphics Guidelines– http://www.brailleauthority.org/tg/
● Tactile Graphics How-Tos:– http://www.tactilegraphics.org/
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Tactile Version: Heart & Lungs
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Sample Image: Carbon Atom
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3D Printing: tactile Graphics Revolution?
● Increasing prevalence of printers + appeal of universal design
● Challenges: access to files, printers, expertise
● Webinar on 3D: http://diagramcenter.org/webinars.html#3D
● Final Report: http://diagramcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/3D_FinalReport_SIU_3.docx
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Our Math Problem:
Semantic math exists, but not all devices support it: http://idpf.org/sites/default/files/file_attach/sanders_edupub_slides.pdf
“Image”
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Making Math Accessible
MathML Cloud
See
“(y_2-y_1)/(x_2-x_1)=-10”
Hear“start frac y sub 2 minus y sub 1 over x sub 2 minus x sub 1 end frac equals minus 10”
Input:
Outputs:
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MathML Cloud Project
Download MathMLCloud http://mathml-cloud.cloudapp.net/
Future-proofed (data stored in cloud)
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Sonification
● Uses non-speech audio to convey information and help perceptualize data
● MathTrax: application created by NASA that provides sonification for mathematical graphs
● http://prime.jsc.nasa.gov/mathtrax/
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Making Interactives Accessible● Simulations● Interactive Number Lines● Quizzes● 3D models
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Accessible Interactive Content/Widgets
Accessible Widget: http://
diagramcenter.org/accessible-slider.html
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What’s Left?
● Expanded Image Description Training Module● End-to-end math solution● Building an accessible content Repository/Registry● More Interactive widgets & content● Adoption of Accessibility Metadata to assist
discovery● And MORE!
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Top Tips for Creating Accessible EPUB 3 Files
● Top Tips: http://diagramcenter.org/54-9-tips-for-creating-accessible-epub-3-files.html
● EPUB 3 Accessibility Guidelines: http://www.idpf.org/accessibility/guidelines/
● “EPUB 3 Best Practices,” Matt Garrish (O’Reilly) Accessibility Forum: http://www.idpf.org/forums
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Keeping Up with Updates
● Alt Media List Serve: www.htctu.net ● Born Accessible: Bornaccessible.org ● DIAGRAM Center:
– Website: diagramcenter.org
– Webinars: http://www.diagramcenter.org/standards-and-practices/training.html
– Blog: http://blog.diagramcenter.org/
● MathML Cloud: Mathmlcloud.org● Poet: https://diagram.herokuapp.com/
