Automated production of Braille textbooks

August 3 to August 7, 2020

at the

American Institute of Mathematics, San Jose, California

organized by

Alexei Kolesnikov, Al Maneki, Martha Siegel, and Volker Sorge

Original Announcement

This workshop is intended to extend the availability of mathematics textbooks in Braille to students and professionals who are visually challenged. The goal is to produce mathematical text accurately, inexpensively, and in a timely manner by developing a user-friendly software workflow using open-source software to automatically translate mathematical text to Braille ready for embossing. While some progress has been made in this regard, there are still a number of technical and scientific problems that we want to address at this workshop. The participants will include authors, software developers, accessibility specialists and members of the publishing industry.

Specific goals for this workshop are:

  1. Accurate translation of both mathematics and literary text into Braille including challenging objects like matrices, tables, and large formulas.

  2. Develop pathways towards automating the production of raised graphics.

  3. Create an easy and accessible workflow for both authors and end users.

  4. Envision a "path to market" for adoption by universities and publishers.

Material from the workshop

A list of participants.

A report on the workshop activities.