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Shall I add Braille to my PhD thesis? (self.Blind)
submitted by insidejobMCR
Shall I add Braille to my PhD thesis?
TLDR: Would adding Braille to my PhD thesis be useful to visually impaired and Blind users?
Long version and context:
My work is focused on inclusion, but I focus mainly on indigenous people, Black and Brown people as well as queer needs and gender barriers. I know not enough about blind (or deaf, or disabled culture), and I will dedicate my energies to this after I have submitted. I wish PhDs broaden skills, rather than specialize them.
Anyhow.
I am wondering if I can make my work more accessible by adding a braille transcription. I want to see if my university can fund such a transcription. I want to see if there is precedent for this in my department. As far as I know this is not the case; if that is true, I think this is a deficiency.
But above all, I want to find out if this would actually be useful.
Or would it maybe be better to publish my thesis as an $1? Or as an Audiobook? (Instead of a PDF).
Thank you very much for your patience.
I will look online for guides to increase accessibility; but if somebody knows a good resources for beginners, I will obviously grateful.
Best, MJ.
TLDR: Would adding Braille to my PhD thesis be useful to visually impaired and Blind users?
Long version and context:
My work is focused on inclusion, but I focus mainly on indigenous people, Black and Brown people as well as queer needs and gender barriers. I know not enough about blind (or deaf, or disabled culture), and I will dedicate my energies to this after I have submitted. I wish PhDs broaden skills, rather than specialize them.
Anyhow.
I am wondering if I can make my work more accessible by adding a braille transcription. I want to see if my university can fund such a transcription. I want to see if there is precedent for this in my department. As far as I know this is not the case; if that is true, I think this is a deficiency.
But above all, I want to find out if this would actually be useful.
Or would it maybe be better to publish my thesis as an $1? Or as an Audiobook? (Instead of a PDF).
Thank you very much for your patience.
I will look online for guides to increase accessibility; but if somebody knows a good resources for beginners, I will obviously grateful.
Best, MJ.
retrolental_morose 11 points 2y ago
adding braille would be less useful than just publishing electronically. HTML is probably the most accessible format for read-only material. Image and figure descriptions are the other serious consideration.
insidejobMCR [OP] 2 points 2y ago
Much appreciated.
On the physical paper thesis:
The library insists on 2 paper copies. There is a good chance that they will never be opened by anyone; but that is kinda not the point for me.
IF somebody wants to open them who happens to be blind; would braille be useful?
On the digital thesis:
Thesis's are usually published as PDF only. I hate PDFs, but regrettably that is the norm (Maybe I can get around that). Maybe I can request/demand that it will be circulated as an HTML file?
On images:
I don't use images much; but I will make sure that if I do, I will add adequately detailed descriptions.
On the physical paper thesis:
The library insists on 2 paper copies. There is a good chance that they will never be opened by anyone; but that is kinda not the point for me.
IF somebody wants to open them who happens to be blind; would braille be useful?
On the digital thesis:
Thesis's are usually published as PDF only. I hate PDFs, but regrettably that is the norm (Maybe I can get around that). Maybe I can request/demand that it will be circulated as an HTML file?
On images:
I don't use images much; but I will make sure that if I do, I will add adequately detailed descriptions.
retrolental_morose 7 points 2y ago
The Braille on paper is bulky. A 300 page novel takes up 5-6 volumes of braille. If stored inappropriately the dots could become hard to read over time, if something rested on them for example, and although contracted braille is read by the majority of braille readers, only approximately 1 in 10 blind people read braille at all.
That being said it's a noble idea, but on balance I think you'd have far wider distribution if you went down the digital road. perhaps store a flash-drive or Sd card with a digital copy on?
accessiblle (tagged) PDF's are better than nothing if HTML is a no-no. :)
That being said it's a noble idea, but on balance I think you'd have far wider distribution if you went down the digital road. perhaps store a flash-drive or Sd card with a digital copy on?
accessiblle (tagged) PDF's are better than nothing if HTML is a no-no. :)
insidejobMCR [OP] 1 points 2y ago
This is extremely helpful. Thank you.
The fact that braille deteriorates if not stored correctly is kinda just blowing my mind and I will need to spend some time thinking about that for a while. I like the idea of flash drive or the like; but I don't think this is gonna fly with the library. Will see with them.
Thank you for your input. I learned a lot.
The fact that braille deteriorates if not stored correctly is kinda just blowing my mind and I will need to spend some time thinking about that for a while. I like the idea of flash drive or the like; but I don't think this is gonna fly with the library. Will see with them.
Thank you for your input. I learned a lot.
retrolental_morose 1 points 2y ago
In terms of long term storage, I have a couple of Micro SD cards in various places (one is in a tree, if that gives you a sense of my paranoia).
Also another useful idea is a QR code which you can use as a link to something online, although you'd need viable online storage for a decent length of time, and a way of indicating to a blind person that a code is present.
But far simpler to braille one sheet with a note saying, "this is my thesis, visit blabla.edu or scan the QR code below" than have the whole thing embossed.
You could perhaps even use heat-treated paper, rather than embossed braille, for longevity for such a purpose.
Also another useful idea is a QR code which you can use as a link to something online, although you'd need viable online storage for a decent length of time, and a way of indicating to a blind person that a code is present.
But far simpler to braille one sheet with a note saying, "this is my thesis, visit blabla.edu or scan the QR code below" than have the whole thing embossed.
You could perhaps even use heat-treated paper, rather than embossed braille, for longevity for such a purpose.
itisisidneyfeldman 2 points 2y ago
Researcher in the blindness field here.
- Best best is to make sure the PDF is accessible. That way, a person can access and read it relatively easily with a voice screen reader or a refreshable braille display.
- If you want to create a braille hardcopy to sit alongside the visual print copies, ask your student disability resource center (assuming your institution has one) for options. I've had them print up braille consent forms for experiments in the past, but those are very brief documents. A thesis would be bulky enough to justify making sure there is demand before going to that kind of trouble. (Especially since there are other ways a blind person can already access the PDF text if prepared properly, so you don't place the burden of demanding accessibility on them.)
- From the text/Word/etc file, you can also convert, upload, and host a .BRL or .BRF file somewhere. Those are file formats specifically for braille characters, and I've seen that option as a downloadable companion to standard print textbooks. Again, ask your local assistive tech resource center for help.
Some more reading:
- Overview of standards: https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20-TECHS/pdf
- Overview of some how-tos: https://www.section508.gov/create/pdfs
- Best best is to make sure the PDF is accessible. That way, a person can access and read it relatively easily with a voice screen reader or a refreshable braille display.
- If you want to create a braille hardcopy to sit alongside the visual print copies, ask your student disability resource center (assuming your institution has one) for options. I've had them print up braille consent forms for experiments in the past, but those are very brief documents. A thesis would be bulky enough to justify making sure there is demand before going to that kind of trouble. (Especially since there are other ways a blind person can already access the PDF text if prepared properly, so you don't place the burden of demanding accessibility on them.)
- From the text/Word/etc file, you can also convert, upload, and host a .BRL or .BRF file somewhere. Those are file formats specifically for braille characters, and I've seen that option as a downloadable companion to standard print textbooks. Again, ask your local assistive tech resource center for help.
Some more reading:
- Overview of standards: https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20-TECHS/pdf
- Overview of some how-tos: https://www.section508.gov/create/pdfs
insidejobMCR [OP] 2 points 2y ago
This is wonderfully helpful. Thank you.
I assume it is a better use of the department's money than transcribing it. Maybe I can ask them to host the file separately to the PDF (which is the standard). Thank you
I assume it is a better use of the department's money than transcribing it. Maybe I can ask them to host the file separately to the PDF (which is the standard). Thank you
modulus 3 points 2y ago
PDF is a difficult format to get right. If you go that route, try to produce Tagged PDF (LibreOffice has this function on its export dialogue, for instance). If you work with LaTeX, it should be able to produce html with the tex4ht package.
blundermole 1 points 2y ago
I’ve never been able to get LaTeX to output a solid tagged PDF. If you know how to do this, I’d love to know the secret!
modulus 1 points 2y ago
Me neither, hence my suggestion to go from LaTeX to html instead, through tex4ht. The best I can do is using unicode input and the cmap package, and it isn't all that good.
insidejobMCR [OP] 1 points 2y ago
This is great.
I'm awful with latex but I'm surrounded by smart people who hopefully can help me.
Would kindle epub be useful?
I'm awful with latex but I'm surrounded by smart people who hopefully can help me.
Would kindle epub be useful?
modulus 1 points 2y ago
If you're not using Latex yourself, there are easier ways to get a tagged PDF. LibreOffice or Word do a decent job of it. I was mentioning Latex in case that was your source format.
Kindle/EPUB would indeed be useful. I at least use EPUB a lot, and there are specialised accessible readers for it (QRead, VoiceDream).
Kindle/EPUB would indeed be useful. I at least use EPUB a lot, and there are specialised accessible readers for it (QRead, VoiceDream).
Winnmark 1 points 2y ago
Going off the TLDR, don't bother, it's cool.
insidejobMCR [OP] 1 points 2y ago
:) thanks !
oncenightvaler 1 points 2y ago
PDFs are usually fine though I prefer the .txt and .doc formats. As for Braille translation, the actual translation of anything accurately only would take like five minutes and there are a few freeware Braille translation programs (although I've read that only ten percent of blind people read Braille)
insidejobMCR [OP] 2 points 2y ago
Thank you. this is really helpful.
I sometimes use text to speech and I find many journals are very unfriendly to TTS software (heathers, footers, copyright on every page etc).
I sometimes use text to speech and I find many journals are very unfriendly to TTS software (heathers, footers, copyright on every page etc).
blundermole 1 points 2y ago
As other commenters have said, most blind people don’t read Braille so it wouldn’t be the best single accessibility adjustment you could make.
If your university insists on a PDF copy, make sure the PDF is accessible. Depending on the complexity of the document, you may be able to make a PDF as accessible as an HTML document.
You may also be able to include a link in your thesis to an HTML version, up but you’d need to ensure this link was maintained in perpetuity: i.e., not just a Dropbox link.
If your university insists on a PDF copy, make sure the PDF is accessible. Depending on the complexity of the document, you may be able to make a PDF as accessible as an HTML document.
You may also be able to include a link in your thesis to an HTML version, up but you’d need to ensure this link was maintained in perpetuity: i.e., not just a Dropbox link.
insidejobMCR [OP] 1 points 2y ago
Yes - I would want funding for that or at least a promise that "this link will be valid for at least 10 years". Something to that line.
BlueZone123 0 points 2y ago
Your thesis is regarding inclusion, and you left out people with disabilities. If I were on your review board, I would definatly ask you why you left them out. Saying that you'll research the topic after the thesis has been accepted would not be the right answer.
Regarding accessibility, PDF files are accessible if you format them right, and graphics and images won't be effective unless you write the context of what you are showing.
Regarding accessibility, PDF files are accessible if you format them right, and graphics and images won't be effective unless you write the context of what you are showing.
insidejobMCR [OP] 1 points 2y ago
Thanks for your answer. Here is more context :
:)
I said my work is about inclusion; that was oversimplified. It's about processes of indigenous and PoC and gender exclusion - and how to identify and overcome these exclusions. Hence I say "inclusion". It's merely shorthand.
My background is postcolonial and I explore and describe minority ethnic experiences from an ethnographic and autoethnographic perspective. I am not blind and not disabled; none of my collaborators were neither. Hence I didn't cover these aspects in my work. Don't believe I have anything of value to add to that conversation; the work of others is better, more rigorous and more extensive than mine could be. I am very honest and open about the limitations of my work. There are many groups that I could not cover in my work - and in the timeframe that I have.
Nonetheless:
Writing for blind people (or generally writing/publishing accessibly) is something I've not been taught in all these years in academia - and it's why I am trying to catch up on it.
:)
I said my work is about inclusion; that was oversimplified. It's about processes of indigenous and PoC and gender exclusion - and how to identify and overcome these exclusions. Hence I say "inclusion". It's merely shorthand.
My background is postcolonial and I explore and describe minority ethnic experiences from an ethnographic and autoethnographic perspective. I am not blind and not disabled; none of my collaborators were neither. Hence I didn't cover these aspects in my work. Don't believe I have anything of value to add to that conversation; the work of others is better, more rigorous and more extensive than mine could be. I am very honest and open about the limitations of my work. There are many groups that I could not cover in my work - and in the timeframe that I have.
Nonetheless:
Writing for blind people (or generally writing/publishing accessibly) is something I've not been taught in all these years in academia - and it's why I am trying to catch up on it.
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