Project Math Access DVD 04 - Facilitating Inclusion - Part 07 Transcript Start Audio Description: Part seven; printing math with the Braille Note. KAPPERMAN: Pete, today we're going to talk a little bit about using the Braille Note to print mathematics. So what we could do is set up the Braille Note in order to develop a file which you can put mathematics in and print it out using this HP printer that we‘ve got connected to the Braille Note and be able to communicate with your sighted teachers, math teachers, that way by handing them the ink print mathematics. There are a few things that we need to go over in order to be able to do that. I know, Pete, for example, that you are very good with the Braille Note and if you weren't [Pete laughs] this is a little more sophisticated than a beginning Braille Note user would be able to handle. So the point that I would like to make is that one of the reasons that we can do this with you with a very good chance of success is because you are already an accomplished Braille Note user. We would never, ever, ever recommend starting out with this strategy for printing mathematics with the Braille Note if a student didn‘t know his or her way around the Braille Note pretty well. At any rate, so I am going to just summarize what we‘d like to do and then we‘ll get started. What we're going to do is start a file, we're going to create a file, I want you to call it math, and then we're going to have to turn on computer code because we're going to use a combination of computer code and the Unicode. The Unicode is a set of symbols, a gigantic set of symbols, which has been installed in the Braille Note, which you can tailor. The people who've developed the program that operated the Braille Note have imbued it with the capability of tailoring it so that you can select certain Unicode symbols and you can attach certain keystrokes to those particular Unicode symbols. Then all you have to do is, when you want to print those out, you just strike those particular keystrokes. I have already set this Braille Note up in order to do that. So, in a nutshell, what you have to get a Braille Note to do, what we are just about to do, is you have to have, you have to turn on 3-dot mode, keyboard 3-dot mode, showing 3 dots on the keyboard. And any person that would be using the Braille Note could find out how to do that in the owner's manual. Then also you need to have computer code extended characters turned on and then from there it is a relatively simple matter to use a combination of the computer code and Unicode to print mathematics, so that's where we're going to start. I'd like to have you turn on the Braille Note, please. BRAILLE NOTE: [synthesized speech] Main menu, word processor, key word menu KAPPERMAN: And I want you to start, create, a file and call it math. BRAILLE NOTE: Create a document, folder name, press enter for general, document to create, M-A-TH, math, a file in that name already exists KAPPERMAN: Alright, let's try another file. Try math test. BRAILLE NOTE: M-A-T-H, math, T-E-S-T test, top of document, blank KAPPERMAN: One of the first things we have to make sure that we do, that we turn on, we are going to be inputting in computer code. So would you please do that? PETE: Yeah, so turn on the... BRAILLE NOTE: Options menu, keyboard braille grade in use, currently Grade 2, computer braille KAPPERMAN: Excellent! You're in computer code now. KAPPERMAN: Let's caII... why don't we call this math assignment? Would you braille that? Now remember that when you are doing computer code, for those of use who are used to grade 2 braille, you really have to start thinking about brailling. PETE: No contractions. KAPPERMAN: No contractions, that's right; and since we have 3-dot mode turned on, one of the things that happens with 3-dot mode is the dots 7 and 3 the backspace key, which is normally the backspace key, the one that's furthest to the left, is now dot 7 and the dot 3 is... now has been assigned to the enter key. The normal use, and this is something that takes a little bit of getting used to, too, the normal use of the backspace key and the enter key for when you're using 3-dot mode is slightly different. When you press those, and if you want backspace or if you want new line or enter you have to press the spacebar along with, say, the enter key or the backspace key. So that's one thing that makes this operate a little bit differently. But it's not a problem, you can get used to this. So would you please... and also there's one other thing. We want to use... to make a letter capitalized, what we can do is use a chord-u in front of the letter and then that will capitalize that letter. So would you please put in, let's say, math assignment. Braille that in grade 1 braille, or computer code. PETE: Do you want the first letter capitalized? KAPPERMAN: Yes I do, please. BRAILLE NOTE: Cap, M-A-T-H Math, and that's test, T-E-S-T. Ok. KAPPERMAN: Excellent, Math Test, would you hit... PETE: Go down? KAPPERMAN: Yes. Hit the space bar. KAPPERMAN: Very good! You hit the spacebar with the enter key and that got you a newline. That's excellent, excellent! I like that a lot. You're doing great, quick learner here. I noted that you are very good about, you didn't use the “th" sign in math and you did not use the “st" sign in test. You spelled it out in grade 1 braille, computer code, because if you had used, for example, the “th" sign in math, the “th" sign in computer code is the question mark, isn't it? I believe you and I have talked about that. PETE: Uh, huh, yeah. Dots 4-6 is to be the period. That's right. And the “st" sign, or dots 3-4, is the slash or the division sign in computer code. Things change a little bit and that's why you have to know the computer code reasonably well, how it changes from grade 2 braille. The first thing we want to do is, illustrate how to combine the computer code and the Unicode. We're going to use the expression 10 degrees plus 20 degrees equals 30 degrees. We're going to have the item number as number one. So what we're going to have to do is... PETE: So one. KAPPERMAN: So number one. We don't use any numeric indicator signs do we? PETE: Nope, no number signs. KAPPERMAN: No number signs, right. So do a number one, dot 2, very good. Then the period, now, in computer code that changes doesn't it? PETE: It becomes a 4-6, right? KAPPERMAN: 4-6, that's right. Very good! BRAILLE NOTE: Period KAPPERMAN: Now hit a space. Excellent. And now when we do the ten, we're going to do 10 degrees plus 20 degrees equals 30 degrees. The 10 would just be the computer code 10. What would that be? Do you know? PETE: It's a dot 2 for 1 and for 0, dots 3-4-5. KAPPERMAN: Excellent. PETE: So 10 BRAILLE NOTE: one zero KAPPERMAN: There you go. It's actually dots 3-5-6. PETE: 3-5-6, I'm sorry. I put it in, [Pete laughs] but I said that wrong. KAPPERMAN: I know you did. PETE: 3-5-6 for the 0 KAPPERMAN: Now, here's where we're combining the, so you just now brailled in computer code. We're going to do a Unicode symbol, the degree symbol. I've already tailored the Braille Note to be able to pick off this gigantic list of symbols the degree symbol. I have arbitrarily assigned, you can assign any keystroke you want to, to the symbols from the Unicode. I have tried to make these, that I have picked off the, picked from the Unicode somewhat similar to what they are. So for example, the degree symbol, I have chosen to do a chord-u and a low d. And a low d meaning degree. PETE: Degrees, yeah. KAPPERMAN: So that's how I input it, or that's how I want you to input it. Then you also have a choice on how you want it displayed on the Braille Note's braille display. KAPPERMAN: And I've chosen to have dots 1-6. Now that, I realize that is not the exact, the precise symbol for degrees. PETE: You could get it confused with the multiplication you know... KAPPERMAN: That's right. That is not the Nemeth code, the entire degree symbol for the Nemeth code, but it's close. When you move over, after we get this written in, if you move over that expression character-by-character, you will hear the Braille Note say degrees. PETE: Degrees, yeah. KAPERMAN: So will you press now a chord-u BRAILLE NOTE: Cap KAPPERMAN: Excellent! And then a low d. BRAILLE NOTE: Degrees. KAPPERMAN: Excellent! And it says degrees. And if you put your finger on that, you'll see it's ten and then we have the dots 1-6. PETE: Oh, yeah! That's pretty cool. Good times. KAPPERMAN: Now do the plus sign. And the plus sign is... BRAILLE NOTE: Plus. PETE: It's a 3-4-6. KAPPERMAN: 3-4-6, that's right. Now do 20. BRAILLE NOTE: two zero KAPPERMAN: And the degree sign would be? PETE: U-chord with a low d. BRAILLE NOTE: Degrees KAPPERMAN: Excellent, outstanding. Now the equals sign, the computer code equals sign, is what? Do you know what it is? PETE: Full cell KAPPERMAN: Full cell, that's right. Very good. PETE: So space, equals BRAILLE NOTE: Equals KAPPERMAN: Now space again. Then we can do 30 degrees so put in the 30 degrees. BRAILLE NOTE: three, zero, cap, degrees KAPPERMAN: Excellent, outstanding, very good! And you noticed that as the, as you inputted those keystrokes the Braille Note spoke it correctly. And it doesn't take much to figure out that that will, that that means, that expression means, 10 degrees plus 20 degrees equals 30 degrees. And when you print that out it will, and we'll do this shortly, that will, after we get the entire assignment done, that will be very accurately printed and any sighted person would be able to recognize that. Would you, the next item, the next line will be our algebraic expression. BRAILLE NOTE: New Line KAPPERMAN: How did you do the newline? PETE: Space bar with the enter key which is dot 7. I mean dot 3. KAPPERMAN: Excellent, dot 3. That's exactly right. You've got it right on target. That's right and we had to use the space bar and the enter key because we are in 3-dot mode. So if you'd hit the enter key by itself it would be a dot 3. PETE: It would just be a dot 3. KAPPERMAN: The next thing we're going to do is the algebraic expression, x squared plus 2 x minus 1 is equal to O. Now here's a particular problem. It, we're going to use, we're going to improvise to make the exponent, the square part, the two that's normally printed above the line of print. We are going to put an upwards pointing arrow to show the sighted teacher that... PETE: That it's a superscript. KAPPERMAN: You got it right on target. Now we have to show when that superscript, because it's all written on one line, we have to show when the superscript comes to an end. And we're going to use a dot-5. PETE: Baseline. KAPPERMAN: Which is in the Nemeth code that you and I know, it's the baseline indicator. PETE: It's the baseline. KAPPERMAN: Now for the sighted teacher, when you print this out, it's going to be a quote. PETE: A quote. KAPPERMAN: A quote. That's right, because the dot-5 in the computer code is a quotation mark. It doesn't take much explanation for a sighted teacher to be able to understand that when he or she sees an upwards pointing arrow that the expression following that is all in the exponential portion of the expression expression and then when it's followed by a quotation mark that means that that exponential expression has come to an end. PETE: Yeah, has come down. KAPPERMAN: So let's do number 2. Put in number 2 period, please. BRAILLE NOTE: two, period KAPPERMAN: And then a space. And then we have an x. PETE: So, x. KAPPERMAN: Now here is, how do we make an upwards arrow? This is the way we do this. We do a u-chord and then dots 4-5. PETE: 4-5 KAPPERMAN: Very good, do that please. BRAILLE NOTE: Cap x caret KAPPERMAN: x caret, very good. So it calls the upward pointing arrow a caret. Then put in the 2. BRAILLE NOTE: Two KAPPERMAN: Now we'll put in a dot five, baseline indicator. BRAILLE NOTE: Double quote KAPPERMAN: Excellent, it says double quote. PETE: It's going to say double quote. KAPPERMAN: Now plus 2x, put in 2x. BRAILLE NOTE: Plus, Two, x. KAPPERMAN: Very good. Now, minus 1. BRAILLE NOTE: x dash one. PETE: Oops. KAPPERMAN: Now go back, what you have to do is x... yeah, you have that... PETE: Isn't it? KAPPERMAN: It was 2x dash, he calls the minus sign a dash PETE: It's a dash, yeah. It's a dash. It's the minus sign. I was correct. KAPPERMAN: Minus one. That's right. Now press the spacebar. KAPPERMANIPETE: And then equals BRAILLE NOTE: Equals KAPPERMAN: And then the space bar again, please, and then a 0. BRAILLE NOTE: Zero PETE: All right. KAPPERMAN: And if you look at that expression on the display it actually looks very close to Nemeth code, doesn't it? PETE: It Iooks...yeah it does actually. That's pretty cool. KAPPERMAN: Ok, super. Now, the next thing we'll do is, if you would give us a newline please. BRAILLE NOTE: New line. KAPPERMAN: Excellent! Number three BRAILLE NOTE: Three, period KAPPERMAN: This time we're going to do an inequality. We're going to do 5 is not equal to 6. This is another illustration of how we are going to improvise. PETE: Oh yeah how the... KAPPERMAN: As we've discussed, the not equal to sign in print is an equals sign with a slash through it. Unfortunately we can't make that with the Braille Note, so we're going to have to improvise. What I'm suggesting is that we put a slash in front of the equals sign, and the slash in the computer code is dots 3-4. Let me just summarize: what we would do is have a 5 and then we'd have a space, and then put the slash mark, the dots 3-4, in front of the equals sign, and then put the equals sign, insert the equals sign and then a space and then the number 6. Then that would be read as 5 is not equal to 6. Once again, sighted people will be able to interpret this perfectly fine. It will just have the slash mark in front of the equals sign instead of through it. PETE: They should be able to put the two pieces together. KAPPERMAN: The meaning of that should be very clear. So would you please do number 3 period, and then five is not equal to six, please. PETE: Five not equal to and six. BRAILLE NOTE: 5 slash equals 6 KAPPERMAN: Perfect, very good. Outstanding. Now if you wanted to you could examine those... now you've got them on your display and you can feel them very well tactually. You could also use your reading keys to move backwards and forwards over those display... PETE: Yeah, over the... BRAILLE NOTE: Six, slash equals. KAPPERMAN: Slash equals, very good. And the slash equals really means not equal to. PETE: It's the not equal to, right. KAPPERMAN: Now would you print this out please. KAPPERMAN: Send that file to this HP printer that is sitting on the desk in front of us here. BRAILLE NOTE: Bottom of document, blank, exit. Key word menu, create, open a doc, emboss a doc, print a document, print or set up printer, folder name, press enter for general, document to print PETE: Math Test BRAILLE NOTE: Printer ready PETE: Yes. BRAILLE NOTE: Key word menu, printing of math test complete. [Printer noise] KAPPERMAN: And it's printing right now. I'm pulling out the paper. PETE: Now we will see what's... KAPPERMAN: Now if we could read this print it probably would say exactly what... PETE: Just what we put in there. KAPPERMAN: And that's your assignment, you can hand that to your teacher.