The Accessible Graphics Reader for Blind People

描述(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)可以使盲人在许多计算机应用程序中很好地访问标准文本。在第一阶段的研究中，我们已经证明了无障碍图形阅读器(AGR)的可行性，它可以提供对更复杂信息的类似访问。在第二阶段，我们建议建造一个可制造的AGR原型，其设计特点旨在显着扩大其市场，从而使盲人更容易负担得起。AGR将有一个触摸板，可以连接到“彩色压纹机”--一种带有压纹头和彩色喷墨头的打印机。触觉彩色图像滚动到触摸板上，允许用户感觉文档，选择要放大的任何部分，更改触觉亮度和对比度，并根据需要重新打印。当触摸文本对象时，可以用语音引擎发声(或用在线盲文显示器显示)。AGR将使人们能够很好地获取已经以电子形式(例如互联网)或可以从纸质副本扫描的所有图形材料。它可以很好地访问以结构良好的、带标签的可伸缩向量图形(SVG)格式表示的图形信息。这些文件中的标签可以通过触摸访问，即使是非常复杂的图形也非常容易访问。SVG是一种新的万维网标记语言，ViewPlus正在与Web Access Initiative合作定义图形可访问性指南，以确保SVG文件将被AGR创作为非常可访问。拟议的AGR包括一个彩色喷墨头，以便通过提供更好的教育机会和职业机会，促进更广泛的残疾人群体的康复。这一群体包括视力低下、阅读困难和其他学习障碍的人，这一细分市场可能是完全失明人数的1000倍。如果与用户友好的会说话的电子书或网络阅读器相结合，AGR甚至可以将用户友好的文本和图形访问扩展到老年或计算机恐惧症用户。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Screen readers (computer applications that display screen text and icons in speech or an online mechanical braille display) can give blind people good access to standard text in many computer applications. In Phase I research we have demonstrated the feasibility of an Accessible Graphics Reader (AGR) that can provide comparable access to more complex information. In Phase II we propose to build a manufacturable prototype of the AGR with design features intended to expand its market significantly and hence to be more affordable by blind people. AGR will have a touch pad that attaches to a "color embosser" - a printer with an embossing head and a color ink jet head. A tactile color image rolls out onto the touch pad permitting users to feel the document, select any part to enlarge, change tactile brightness and contrast, and reprint if desired. Text objects can be voiced with a speech engine (or displayed with an on-line Braille display) when touched. AGR will give good access to all graphical materials that are either already in electronic form (e.g. the internet) or can be scanned from paper copy. It gives particularly good access to graphical information presented in well-structured, labeled Scalable Vector Graphic (SVG) format. The labels in these files can be accessed by touch, making even very complex graphics very accessible. SVG is a new World Wide Web markup language, and ViewPlus is working with the Web Access Initiative to define graphics accessibility guidelines that would assure that SVG files will be authored to be very accessible by AGR. The proposed AGR includes a color ink jet head so that it will promote rehabilitation of a broad group of people with disabilities by providing improved access to education and professional opportunity. This group includes people with low vision, dyslexia and other learning disabilities, a market segment that could be a thousand times the number of people who are totally blind. If integrated with a user-friendly talking e-book or network reader AGR could extend user-friendly text and graphic access even to elderly or computer-phobic users.