Conversion of American Japanese-language Textbooks to Braille Teresa Haven, Ph.D. Disability Resource Center Arizona State University

Background  Student wanted Japanese, not another language.  “ Proficiency ” at UARK requires reading, writing, speaking, and listening.  Course as normally taught is extremely visual.

Three Writing Systems (plus one)  Kanji: simple to highly complex; have meaning. 一 鬱 日本語  Hiragana: simple, cursive, generally represent sound. ひらがな  Katakana: also simple, angular, parallel hiragana. カタカナ  Romaji: “ roman ” alphabet. “ nihongo ”

Japanese Braille  One writing system: Tenji (Braille) –Everything reduces to sound, or the equivalent of Hiragana. –No Kanji to learn because no effective means of producing in tactile format. –Same 6 dots, so patterns are used differently from English or other languages.

The Problem  Elementary-level foreign language texts in US typically translated to American Braille.  Professor considered this “ cheating ” and would not allow, given that sighted students were not allowed to “ romanize ” the language.

Further Complications  Duxbury doesn ’ t support Japanese.  Only software found to produce Tenji required Japanese operating system on computer as well as shipment of software from Japan.

Initial Solutions  Mapped correspondences between American and Japanese Braille Codes.  Trained conversion workers in reading Hiragana.  Considered 6-key entry.

More Complications  Proofreading: text looked like gibberish.  What Romanization scheme to use? –Kunrei –Hepburn –Nihon-shiki

Better Solutions  Brainstorming with Dr. Susan Jolly, dotlessbraille.org.  Choice of Nihon-shiki romanization system.  Discussion of parser program to pair with Duxbury.

Final Solution  Scan to capture English.  Describe graphics as usual.  Romanize Japanese text.  Tag start and stop of Japanese text segments.  Run edited files through parser and Duxbury.

Questions?

Thanks  Dr. Susan Jolly, dotlessbraille.org.  Annie Jannarone, Director, Center for Educational Access, University of Arkansas.  Heidi Scher, Associate Director, Center for Educational Access, UARK  Gaier Dietrich, High Tech Center Training Unit, Cupertino, CA.

About the Presenter  Dr. Teresa Wells Haven  Disability Resource Center, Arizona State University  Ph.D. in Linguistics; 20+ years experience in access technology and disability services.