Designing software for the visually impaired
Technical drawings and diagrams, floor plans, schematics are traditionally graphic intensive, based on the depiction of objects for illustrative purposes. Software developments have, as their focus, prevailed to make their design, use and versatility easy, creative and functional. However, being graphic based, people with visual impairments cannot take advantage of them. Now, under the TeDub (Technical Drawings Understanding for the Blind) project software has been developed to provide sight where none was to be had. The technology is a graphic reading software programme that transliterates technical, graphic information, extracted from three levels to provide useful interpretation. First are image-processing methods, XML-like import and finally, SVG-import. The diagram will be interpreted verbally allowing the user to navigate and personalise the interpretation. Part of the four-phased development strategy was to test the software on people with visual impairment, allowing for the test subjects to evaluate and validate the software's performance. This objective forestalled the developed programme from evolving in ways that would not be suitable for the visually impaired. Currently the software is able to interpret objects designed in XML and UML and provides support for domain specific tasks. This ensures that the majority of technical schematics are compatible and may be transliterated for the blind. The developers aim to make the programme available for students and professionals alike free of charge. Currently a prototype is available for testing.