Electronic Proceedings of the 12^th Asian Technology Conference in Mathematics

Abstract for 12910

Graphic Tool for Communication with Visually impaired Persons

Authors: Ryoji Fukuda, Tetsuya Ohashi

Affiliations: Graduate School of Computer Science and Systems

Engineering Kyushu Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering

Oita University Japan

Keywords: Novice, K-12 Level, Graphic Tool, Visually Impaired

Graphical contents are very useful and convenient in communication

including mathematical concepts. However, these are barriers for

visually impaired people. Our software is a communication tool for

graphical contents between a sighted person and a visually impaired

person. This will remove some of these barriers.

The targets of our system are two-dimensional graphic documents, and

the objects are in Japanese high school mathematics. When the

sighted person explains something using some mathematical concept,

sometimes he (or she) has to explain the graphical content, since

the concept often has close connection to the graphical content sub

consciously. On the other hand, when the visually impaired person

explains some mathematical contents, sometimes he (or she) has to

create corresponding graphical contents. These are not easy,

however, to find an adequate way to express or to create these

graphical contents. Our system can be a platform for these

communications.