******** Math & Science Working Symposium SUMMARY Recording for the Blind hosted a Math & Science Working Symposium on May 12-13, 1994 in Princeton, New Jersey. A distinguished group of international scientists -- researchers and developers in the fields of mathematics, computer science and adaptive technology -- met to learn about, and continue development of, the work of Dr. T.V. Raman. Dr. Raman developed AsTeR, "Audio System for Technical Readings" for his PhD thesis at Cornell University. AsTeR is a sophisticated computer program which provides access to electronic documents through an "audio formatting language" and a speech synthesizer. AsTeR's advantages are many. By exercising control over pitch, loudness, pauses and other elements of sound, the system can speak the most complex mathematical expressions in a consistent and understandable manner. The Symposium, underwritten by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, was excellent and productive. Development requirements are in the areas of User Interface, Porting, and Data Structures. Recommendations follow. The User Interface should be consistent across all platforms, and be interactive for read, write and edit. Its control and navigation needs to be simple and easy. Input must be supported from keyboard and alternative adaptive equipment, 6 and 8 dot Braille, for example. All the features found in modern on-line search and retrieval systems -- sophisticated search, navigation, placemark and notetaking capabilities -- should be included. The output modality of the user interface should include, but not be limited to, the simultaneous use of formatted audio, refreshable Braille, text to speech, non-speech audio, graphics (sound graph), scalable large character display, and hard copy output (Braille and print). This will facilitate communication without regard to disability. The development of each interface needs to follow a set of guiding principles, such as those developed by Dr. Abraham Nemeth for the Nemeth Braille Code. Several steps in the development of the user interface include the development of a Braille output module that will interface with the AsTeR front end, and the research of techniques for synchronizing the focus of the currently presented object in various output modalities. Recommendations about Porting AsTeR include Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) setting up an AsTeR server in a remote client server arrangement with an Emacs interface. Porting AsTeR to a more widely available version of Lisp will be worked on, as well as setting up an AsTeR processor at Recording for the Blind to create demonstration audio tapes of selected technical titles. An on-line manual for use and extensions of AsTeR will be written, and it is planned to eventually port AsTeR to the C language, making the system independent of Lisp and Unix. Data Structures development will include testing SGML input to AsTer. Work with ISO 12083 committees on the semantic additions to the 12083 math fragment, and user defined semantic constructs will be explored. Experiments will be conducted with the 12083 math fragment as an input to AsTeR to determine 12083's strengths and weaknesses. Guidelines will be written for providing the semantics behind the LaTeX macros. Structured document files are crucial. Qualification tests will be created to determine the usability of structured document files as provided by publishers and other content-providers. The tests' suitability for use by other organizations will be examined as well. Publishers and other content-providers need to understand the need for well structured files, and a program of education will be initiated. Some of their documents will be processed and taped AsTeR renderings will be sent to them for review as part of this program. The group recognized the need to develop, disseminate and maintain a resource list of products, components, and research efforts currently underway, and also to encourage the development of an accessible graphical calculator, to level the playing field for persons with disabilities studying math and science. At the wrap-up session of the Symposium leaders emerged for each of the working groups. The group went on to identify a number of specific actions for the next six months. Communication will be facilitated through the InterNet, for people working on specific projects as well as others who want to keep up with developments. COMMENT: ******** Math & Science Working Symposium May 12-13, 1994 Plenary Session Summary PORTING Working Group Leader: Dr. T.V. Raman Short-term: 1. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to set up an AsTeR server for use in a remote client-server arrangement with emacs interface. COMMENT: 2. Oregan State University will begin working on porting ASTER to another version of LISP COMMENT: Mid-term: Create an on-line manual for use and extensions of ASTER. COMMENT: Long-term: Port to language independent of LISP and UNIX, preferably C or C++ language. COMMENT: USER INTERFACE Working Group Leader: Dr. John Gardner 1. User interface should be consistent across all platforms. The control and navigation of the user interface should be simple and easy. COMMENT: 1.1 The development of the user interface should follow a set of guiding principles, such as those developed by Dr. Abraham Nemeth for the Nemeth Braille Code. COMMENT: 1.2 User interface should include a complete suite of features that are found in modern on-line search and retrieval systems, including sophisticated search, navigation, placemark and notetaking capabilities. COMMENT: 2. Output modality should include but not be limited to formatted audio, text to speech, non speech audio, graphics (sound graph), scalable large character display, hard copy output (Braille and print), and refreshable Braille. This should remain open and extensible for further modalities. COMMENT: 3. Interface should facilitate communication between people without regard to disability, for example enabling simultaneous use by a student and a teacher. COMMENT: 4. Interface should be interactive (read, write and edit). Input should be supported from keyboard, and alternative adaptive equipment, e.g., 6 and 8 dot Braille input, etc. These input devices should also be usable for navigation. COMMENT: 5. Undertake the development of a Braille output module that will interact with the ASTER front end. COMMENT: 6. Research the techniques for synchronizing the focus of the currently presented object in various output modalities. COMMENT: DATA STRUCTURE Working Group Leader: Dr. Art Ogawa 1. Write guidelines for providing the semantics behind the LaTeX macros. COMMENT: 2. To determine its strengths/weaknesses, experiment with the ISO 12083 math fragment as an input to ASTER. COMMENT: 3. Educate publishers and other content-providers about the need for well-structured files. COMMENT: 3.1 Process documents and send taped ASTER renderings to the provider for review. COMMENT: 4. Create a qualification test to determine usability of structured document files. COMMENT: 4.1 Determine the test's suitability for use by other organizations. COMMENT: 5. Work with ISO 12083 committees on the semantic additions to 12083 and user defined semantic constructs. We need to participate in those extensions. COMMENT: GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Develop, disseminate and maintain a resource list of products, components and research efforts currently underway. COMMENT: 2. Encourage the development of an accessible graphical calculator. COMMENT: ******** Conference Feedback Form Physical arrangements How were the hotel accommodations ? COMMENT: What can be done to make the hotel accommodations better? COMMENT: How was transportation from the hotel to the meeting site? COMMENT: How can we improve transportation from the hotel to the meeting site? COMMENT: Was the conference room satisfactory? COMMENT: What can we do to improve the conference room? COMMENT: Please comment on the catered lunches at the meeting. COMMENT: Please comment on the reception cuisine. COMMENT: Please comment on InterNet availability and telephone access provided during the conference. COMMENT: Is there anything that the staff could have done to better assist you? COMMENT: Conference Organization Were the goals of the conference clearly defined? COMMENT: Was the meeting agenda in keeping with the goals of the conference? COMMENT: Was the open, flexible structure of this conference conducive to a working meeting? COMMENT: Was there adequate time for discussion in the break out sessions? COMMENT: Were the break out group recommendations captured and documented sufficiently? COMMENT: Was there adequate time for collective discussion of break out group findings? COMMENT: Were the collective recommendations captured and documented sufficiently? COMMENT: Was the length of the conference (in days) adequate? COMMENT: In the future should the conference be kept small by inviting only working group participants? COMMENT: What benefits can be gained by inviting non-working group participants? COMMENT: In the future, would you advise a two day conference? COMMENT: What can we do in the future to improve the conference? COMMENT: