Generating Content MathML Markup from Nemeth Braille Input Sequences

The need for high-quality braille materials is one of the most challenging obstacles faced by visually-impaired students, especially for mathematical content. The need for visually-impaired students to communicate their work to sighted instructors often prevents them from participating in mainstream classrooms in STEM subjects. Backward translation from Nemeth Braille to print mathematics is a difficult and time-consuming process even for teachers of the visually impaired, who may not have an extensive understanding of the mathematical concepts underlying the notation. The goal of this current work is to provide a software system that supports the automatic backward translation of Nemeth Braille input, in the context of a WYSIWYG equation editor designed for sighted math users. This software allows a Nemeth Braille user who is unable to access the printed form of an equation to produce high-quality print mathematical formulas in a fraction of the time, and at a fraction of the expense, of current best practices for braille-to-print translation. This software provides the basis for more immediate communication of mathematical content from visually-impaired Nemeth Braille users to sighted instructors and peers, reducing communication barriers that inhibit visually-impaired students from participating in mainstream math and science classrooms.