Enabling Seamless Access to Digital Graphical Contents for Visually Impaired Individuals via Semantic-Aware Processing

Vision is one of the main sources through which people obtain information from the world, but unfortunately, visually-impaired people are partially or completely deprived of this type of information. With the help of computer technologies, people with visual impairment can independently access digital textual information by using text-to-speech and text-to-Braille software. However, in general, there still exists a major barrier for people who are blind to access the graphical information independently in real-time without the help of sighted people. In this paper, we propose a novel multi-level and multi-modal approach aiming at addressing this challenging and practical problem, with the key idea being semantic-aware visual-to-tactile conversion through semantic image categorization and segmentation, and semantic-driven image simplification. An end-to-end prototype system was built based on the approach. We present the details of the approach and the system, report sample experimental results with realistic data, and compare our approach with current typical practice

Enabling Seamless Access to Digital Graphical Contents for Visually Impaired Individuals via Semantic-Aware Processing

Vision is one of the main sources through which people obtain information from the world, but unfortunately, visually-impaired people are partially or completely deprived of this type of information. With the help of computer technologies, people with visual impairment can independently access digital textual information by using text-to-speech and text-to-Braille software. However, in general, there still exists a major barrier for people who are blind to access the graphical information independently in real-time without the help of sighted people. In this paper, we propose a novel multi-level and multi-modal approach aiming at addressing this challenging and practical problem, with the key idea being semantic-aware visual-to-tactile conversion through semantic image categorization and segmentation, and semantic-driven image simplification. An end-to-end prototype system was built based on the approach. We present the details of the approach and the system, report sample experimental results with realistic data, and compare our approach with current typical practice.</p

A folha de cálculo como mediador da comunicação matemática : uma experiência pedagógica com uma aluna deficiente visual

Relatório de estágio de mestrado em Ensino de Matemática no 3º Ciclo do Ensino Básico e no Ensino SecundárioA inclusão de alunos com Necessidades Educativas Especiais faz parte da realidade escolar atual, no entanto, é o resultado de um caminho que tem sido construído ao longo do tempo. Esta situação pairou na Unidade Curricular Estágio Profissional, integrado no Mestrado em Ensino de Matemática no 3.º ciclo do Ensino Básico e no Ensino Secundário, que decorreu no 2.º ano do Ciclo de Estudos, conducente ao grau de Mestre em Ensino, dado que uma das turmas do orientador cooperante integra uma aluna com deficiência visual profunda. A turma em causa era da disciplina de Matemática Aplicada às Ciências Sociais (MACS), do 10.º ano de escolaridade. No particular tema aqui proposto, pretende-se focar a importância da comunicação matemática com a aluna deficiente visual recorrendo à folha de cálculo, mais especificamente o Excel. A escolha do Excel prendeu-se com o facto de ser de fácil acesso, tando nos computadores disponíveis na escola como no portátil que utilizou nas aulas de MACS e nas sessões semanais para apoio à disciplina de MACS, e de oferecer um conjunto de ferramentas para análise de dados Estatísticos, dado que o programa de MACS do 10.º ano tem uma grande componente de Estatística. Neste sentido, procurou-se uma melhor utilização deste recurso, criando estratégias para a seleção e organização da informação, utilização das fórmulas automáticas e criação de pequenos programas para colmatar as deficiências de fórmulas, podendo a aluna tirar o máximo partido na utilização deste programa. No caso específico da disciplina de MACS, revelou-se ainda necessário efetuar materiais táteis adaptados para melhor perceção da informação. Os dados recolhidos para o presente trabalho basearam-se essencialmente no registo, em diário de campo, da atividade da aluna (resoluções de tarefas, estratégias utilizadas, as dificuldades, etc.), na recolha das resoluções das tarefas efetuadas na folha de cálculo, assim como em gravações de sessões individuais. O presente trabalhou demonstrou-se particularmente importante no sentido que permitiu desenvolver a comunicação e a autonomia da aluna deficiente visual.The inclusion of special needs students it’s a reality in our day schools, however, it’s the result of a long way that has been growing in time. This situation has been present on professional training course, included on the master’s degree of math´s teaching in the 3rd cycle of basic education and secondary education that happened in the 2nd grade of the studies cycle, leading to the degree of Master of Education since one of the classes of the teacher cooperating has a visually impaired. This class was of the discipline of Social Sciences Math’s, of the 10th grade of education. In this particular case, the focus was the importance of the math’s communication with the visual handicapped student, using the calculation sheet, the Excel. The choice of the Excel sheet was because of the easy access, by using the school computers or using the portable computer of her own, that the student used in classroom and on the weekly support sessions, and by the fact that offers several tools to work the statistical data treatment and analysis, hence the MACS program of the 10th grade dedicate a lot of contents of Statistical matters. In this sense, the proposal was to find the best way to use this tool, creating strategies for the data selection and organization, use of macros or the creation of simple programs to solve this lack. It was also necessary create tactile materials, adjusted to the specific condition of the student, for better perception of the information. The results of this investigation were obtained using registration, field registration of the student activities (tasks resolution, kind of strategies applied, difficulties, etc.), collection of Excel sheets with tasks resolution and the videotape of some sessions. This investigation was particularly important because of the communication and autonomy skills that were achieved in the visual handicapped student