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Accessibility for LLPSI (self.Blind)
submitted by EgoSumInHorto
I don't know if anyone here has heard of LLPSI before — it's a Latin textbook designed to teach people Latin using only the Latin language, and is considered to be one of the best Latin textbooks on the market for learning to read (and speak) Latin fluidly.
A conversation recently came up with someone about how/if it could be adapted into a Braille format; the main issue arises from the fact that, as the entire book only uses Latin, many terms are defined using pictures: "sus" next to a pig, "agnus" next to a sheep, and so forth, which would obviously not be usable if the person reading is completely blind. An obvious way to get around this is to include English translations, but this defeats the aim of the book to teach Latin solely with Latin.
My question is if anyone has experienced any books with similar accessibility requirements? The first thoughts that came to mind were tactile regions for some definitions, or audio-assisted portions (like producing the noise of a pig oinking perhaps?), both of which would both be difficult and ludicrously expensive if someone were looking to custom-print a 200-page book with multiple features like this on each page.
Thanks in advance!
A conversation recently came up with someone about how/if it could be adapted into a Braille format; the main issue arises from the fact that, as the entire book only uses Latin, many terms are defined using pictures: "sus" next to a pig, "agnus" next to a sheep, and so forth, which would obviously not be usable if the person reading is completely blind. An obvious way to get around this is to include English translations, but this defeats the aim of the book to teach Latin solely with Latin.
My question is if anyone has experienced any books with similar accessibility requirements? The first thoughts that came to mind were tactile regions for some definitions, or audio-assisted portions (like producing the noise of a pig oinking perhaps?), both of which would both be difficult and ludicrously expensive if someone were looking to custom-print a 200-page book with multiple features like this on each page.
Thanks in advance!
seperath 0 points 2y ago
Hi! I believe accommodation meeting all parties involved should include descriptors of the non textual visual information, both English translations and Braille.
If you are intending this to be digital please remember, and take into account that screen readers do not recognize images. This is why including text descriptions of images becomes extremely important for blind and visually impaired individuals.
You are giving sighted people an advantage by showing the pictures.
Accessibility tools rarely if ever recognize images. For this reason, text alterbatives/descriptions of images NEED to be provided if your intent is to be accessible to anyone with a disability, including blind and visually impaired individuals.
Alternatives to the visual content only make your product more accessible, and marketable for a wide variety of audience.
If you are intending this to be digital please remember, and take into account that screen readers do not recognize images. This is why including text descriptions of images becomes extremely important for blind and visually impaired individuals.
You are giving sighted people an advantage by showing the pictures.
Accessibility tools rarely if ever recognize images. For this reason, text alterbatives/descriptions of images NEED to be provided if your intent is to be accessible to anyone with a disability, including blind and visually impaired individuals.
Alternatives to the visual content only make your product more accessible, and marketable for a wide variety of audience.
EgoSumInHorto [OP] 1 points 2y ago
Thanks so much for taking the time to give an answer!
As it is I don't own the rights to the book, so I couldn't put anything online — my question was regarding how it could in theory be made accessible to visually impaired or fully blind people (the question of whether such a material already existed for Latin learners had been raised over at r/Latin so I was wondering if such a resource would be possible while keeping it fully Latin-language).
You mentioned text alternatives as opposed to pictures — this is the issue that exists, that the pictures cannot be described in Latin since the pictures were there to give a definition; the point of this specific textbook is the entire book, from cover to cover, is entirely in Latin. Given you're response I'm going to presume this is impossible as a textbook and would instead necessarily require some reliance on the user's first language...
Thanks for your time anyways!
As it is I don't own the rights to the book, so I couldn't put anything online — my question was regarding how it could in theory be made accessible to visually impaired or fully blind people (the question of whether such a material already existed for Latin learners had been raised over at r/Latin so I was wondering if such a resource would be possible while keeping it fully Latin-language).
You mentioned text alternatives as opposed to pictures — this is the issue that exists, that the pictures cannot be described in Latin since the pictures were there to give a definition; the point of this specific textbook is the entire book, from cover to cover, is entirely in Latin. Given you're response I'm going to presume this is impossible as a textbook and would instead necessarily require some reliance on the user's first language...
Thanks for your time anyways!
seperath 0 points 2y ago
That is why the descriptors need to be in English.
EgoSumInHorto [OP] 1 points 2y ago
My question was whether it would be possible to get around this, since that defeats the objective of the textbook. You have made it abundantly clear that it is not.
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