Experimenting with Automatic Text-to-Diagram Conversion: A Novel Teaching Aid for the Blind People

Diagram describing texts are integral part of science and engineering subjects including geometry, physics, engineering drawing, etc. In order to understand such text, one, at first, tries to draw or perceive the underlying diagram. For perception of the blind students such diagrams need to be drawn in some non-visual accessible form like tactile graphics. Technologies for producing tactile graphics are available but they are too expensive to be afforded by the blind students or schools in developing countries like India. As a result, science education for a large population of blind students is severely compromised. This paper proposes a novel solution to this problem. A method for digital to Braille mapping of geometry diagrams on the low-cost traditional Braille text printer is reported here. Later on, this is integrated with a previously developed text-to-diagram conversion system. Using the integrated system, a blind student can input a geometry word problem and perceive the underlying diagram on a Braille printout. The major part of the study involves rigorous evaluation of the system at a Blind school. The enthusiasm and the ability shown by the subjects in using the system strongly attest its viability as an effective teaching/learning tool for the blind students.