Using the Power of Speech with Maths

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Using the Power of Speech with Maths

• Dr Abi James
• Assistive Technology Consultant
• iansyst

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Contents

• Uses for speech
• Speech recognition text to speech basics
• MathsTalk
• Maths OCR
• PDF Accessibility Editor
• MathML

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Uses For Speech with a computer

• Speech recognition (speech input) is an
  alternative to keyboard input. Also helps with
• Poor spelling
• Poor or slow handwriting
• Speech output read text from the screen. Helps
  with
• Reading
• Proof reading
• Navigating around computer applications
• Accessing computer based tools (e.g. spell
  checker suggestions)

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Speech Recognition But

• But...
• Time commitment in enrolment /training
• Need
• understanding of word processing punctuation.
• ability to multi-task and dictate.
• Noise issue
• Requires high-powered computer

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Speech Recognition in general

• Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred v9 usual
  package for students.
• Students training on the software and how to
  dictate as well as voice recognition training
• Dragon does not recognise specialist vocabulary
  unless trained to do so.
• Medical of Dragon Pro available

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MathsTalk, Scientific Notebook Dragon

• Scientific Notebooks is a scientific word
  processor mathematical computations
• MathsTalk enabled Dragon to dictate into
  Scientific Notebook
• User trains Dragon to recognise mathematical
  commands in SN
• Need to learn mathematical terms to dictate them

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Maths OCR

• OCR software can not recognize math equations
• Latest version of Abbyy FineReader
• Recognise simple chemical formulae
• Incorporates custom word dictionary medical
  dictionary

(ViOi - b(6i)) /foft,ltp) exp Igg m)) cVi,
4gt))
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PDF Files interactive, colorful, pleasing to the
eye

• PDF files often used for mathematical papers,
  worksheets handouts
• Easy to convert from LaTeX to PDF
• Text in PDF files can usually be read aloud
  (PDFAloud included with Read Write Gold)
• But equations and symbols have to added into each
  PDF file manually through the accessibility editor

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PDF Accessibility Tags Example

• Pronunciations
• times 40.
• times 600
• approximately
• approximately
• A.,
• converts to
• sight-o-plasm
• B.
• might-o-kondria
• C O 2
• dioxide
• Cyitoplasmic

• Equations
• 1,1,C 6 H 12 O6 liquid
• 2,1,plus 6 O 2 gas
• 3,1,converts to
• 4,1,6 C O 2 gas
• 5,1,plus 6 H 2 O liquid
• 6,1,plus energy
• Courtesy of EA Draffan, www.emptech.info

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MathML

• Mark-up language for equations on the web
• Displays correctly with zoom in feature
• Can be read aloud by text-to-speech engines
• IE plug-in www.dessci.com/mathplayer
• Mozilla FireFox native support

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Creating MathML

• Most scientific publishing programs support
  MathML through save as/export to html including
• Scientific Notebook
• MathType (advanced version of Equation Editor)
• Plug-ins can support TeX Word to MathML
• Word 2007 will use MathML for equations
• Possibility that Read Write will read aloud
  equations in Word

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Contact details

• Abi James
• Iansyst
• Fen House
• Fen Road
• Cambridge
• CB4 1UN

• Email abi_at_dyslexic.com
• Tel [phone]
• Web www.dyslexic.com
• www.iansyst.co.uk
• www.itspc.co.uk