The Accessible Graphics Reader for Blind People

描述（由申请人提供）：屏幕阅读器（在语音中显示屏幕文本和图标的计算机应用程序或在线机械盲文显示器）可以使盲人很好地访问许多计算机应用程序中的标准文本。我们建议开发一个负担得起的在线图形阅读器（AGR），以提供可比的图形信息。AGR将提供对以结构良好的标记可缩放矢量图形（SVG）格式呈现的图形信息的出色访问。SVG是一种新的万维网标记语言：SVG创作程序已经可以使用，它允许人们轻松地创建原则上通用的图形信息。AGR将使盲人，包括那些不懂盲文的人，在实践中很容易获得这些图形。 AGR包括一个高分辨率的识别器，与触摸板相结合，使盲人能够识别和感觉触觉图形，并听到（或通过在线盲文显示器阅读）图形中重要物体的名称和描述。图形中包含的任何文本都可以在语音中听到或以盲文显示。图形的部分可以随意选择、展开和重新打印。还将创建一个更通用的“AGR交互式打印查看器”软件应用程序的关键组件。它将从任何具有打印功能的Windows应用程序中删除信息。然后，它将允许用户与触觉传感器进行交互，并优化任何图形。AGR交互式查看器还提供了对可能难以用屏幕阅读器阅读的文本的访问。如果AGR提供对SVG的访问，则研究是成功的。如果AGC Viewer应用程序也能开发出来，那么商业市场将得到极大的提升。AGR及其相关软件通过提供更好的教育和职业机会，促进懂计算机的盲人的康复。第二代AGC与有声电子书阅读器相结合，可以为老年人或计算机恐惧症盲人用户提供用户友好的文本和图形访问。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Screen readers (computer applications that display screen text and icons in speech or an on-line mechanical braille display) can give blind people good access to standard text in many computer applications. We propose to develop an affordable on-line Accessible Graphics Reader (AGR) to provide comparable access to graphical information. AGR will give excellent access to graphical information presented in well-structured, labeled Scalable Vector Graphic (SVG) format. SVG is a new World Wide Web markup language: SVG authoring programs are already available that permit one easily to create graphical information that is universally usable in principle. The AGR will make those graphics easily accessible in practice to blind people, including those who do not read braille. AGR consists of a high-resolution embosser integrated with a touch pad permitting blind people to emboss and feel tactile graphics and hear (or read with an on-line braille display) names and descriptions of important objects in the graphic. Any text included with the graphic can be heard in speech or displayed in braille. Sections of the graphic may be selected, expanded, and re-printed at will. The critical components of a more general "AGR interactive print viewer" software application will be created also. It will emboss information from any Windows application that has the ability to print. It will then permit users to interact with that tactile printout and optimize any graphics. The AGR interactive viewer also gives access to text that may be hard to read with a screen reader. The research is successful if AGR provides access to SVG. The commercial market is considerably enhanced if the AGC Viewer application can be created also. AGR and its associated software promotes rehabilitation of computer-literate blind people by providing improved access to education and professional opportunity. A second generation AGC integrated with a talking e-book reader could give user-friendly text and graphic access even to elderly or computer-phobic blind users.