The Accessible Graphics Reader for Blind People

描述（由申请人提供）：屏幕阅读器（在语音或在线机械盲文显示中显示屏幕文本和图标的计算机应用程序）可以让盲人很好地访问许多计算机应用程序中的标准文本。在第一阶段的研究中，我们已经证明了可访问图形阅读器（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，我们建议建立一个可制造的AGR原型，其设计特点旨在显着扩大其市场，从而使盲人更负担得起。AGR将有一个触摸板，连接到一个“彩色压花机”——一个带有压花头和彩色喷墨头的打印机。触摸板上显示的触觉彩色图像允许用户触摸文档，选择放大的任何部分，更改触觉亮度和对比度，并根据需要进行复制。触摸时，文本对象可以通过语音引擎发出声音（或通过在线盲文显示器显示）。AGR可以很好地访问所有已经以电子形式（例如互联网）或可以从纸质副本扫描的图形材料。它可以很好地访问以结构良好、标记的可缩放矢量图形（SVG）格式呈现的图形信息。这些文件中的标签可以通过触摸来访问，使非常复杂的图形变得非常容易访问。SVG是一种新的万维网标记语言，ViewPlus正在与Web Access Initiative合作，定义图形可访问性准则，以确保SVG文件的编写能够被AGR轻松访问。拟议的AGR包括一个彩色喷墨头，以便通过提供更好的教育和专业机会来促进广大残疾人士的康复。这一群体包括视力低下、有阅读障碍和其他学习障碍的人，这个细分市场可能是完全失明人数的一千倍。如果与用户友好的有声电子书或网络阅读器集成，AGR可以扩展用户友好的文本和图形访问，即使是老年人或电脑恐惧症用户。

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.