Chris Clemens
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If the questions are like those in the page you attached, the information you need to give is fairly basic. You don't need to show all of the "spinner" boxes, clovers, arrows, etc. What you do need is the choices offered in the two different menus shown. Some of your information can be handled with a transcriber's note such as describing the menu bar on which the table menu resides. Computer Braille Code is not needed because none of this requires input by the user -- it's about choosing among options.
I am not familiar with such a universal dictionary symbol. Have you tried looking in the front (or back) of this dictionary? There might be a listings of symbols it uses. If anything, this looks like a macron. If you can't find such a symbol listing in your dictionary, please let me know and I'll ask other foreign language experts. And if you find out more about this universal dictionary symbol, please share! I'd love to learn about it.
--Joanna
When the leafs are double digit numbers, leave a space between each set of numbers but do not insert a numeric indicator
A response from a friend may help a little. It is described to me by a friend to be a universal dictionary symbol meaning that nothing more can be done to word as far as antonyms etc. (endings included).
Here are a few details of what we see on the print page.
The up arrow would be a "shift" key. The 'clover' is the Apple "command" key on an Apple keyboard (functions like the windows key on a PC). The "T" would be ... "T". The chord would then be "shift -command-T" which would open the "Create Table" window (the next window page 116).
The right arrows indicate cascading menus. Dragging a mouse over the right arrow would open a cascading menu.
The "Create Table" window has a few 'spinner boxes'. A person can type a number into the box or use the up and down arrows to increase of decrease a number in the box. Ditto "Columns".
The next 2 blacked out buttons are "CANCEL" and "OK" (The OK button is highlighted.)
Thanks Yan for adding your comments. Yes, these are indeed two occurences where a print arrowhead would not be used on a tactile graphic!
Betty
Arrows should be used when representing movement, direction, extension, progress, etc. When its purpose in print is not any of those, it is very unlikely to remain as arrow in the tactile. A couple of typical examples that arrows in the print figures should be not shown as arrows in tactile:
1. Double headed arrow is often used as indications of length or distance measurement. It should be changed to two end bars (to show the beginning and end of the measurement) with a line across in between (for the student to trace).
2. Arrows are often used as lead lines in print. Well, we should not use arrows as lead lines in tactile, if we need to use any.
edited by yzhang on 11/8/2010As much as possible, I try to follow print. Why would you add labels (x-axis, y-axis) that are not in print? Nor do I understand why you would want to omit all but one number in each direction. If, on the other hand, you have only a grid with no labels whatsoever, no axes, no plotted points, just an empty grid, I would probably not create a tactile graphic of it. Be careful of the print origin label -- sometimes it it the number zero, other times it is the letter O -- follow print. Unless there is plotted material that covers where the zero (or O)would be placed, I would include the label. Generally, when four quadrants are shown, the labels for the y-axis are placed to the left of the axis line, and the labels for the x-axis are placed below the axis line. Only when necessary would I move them to the other side of the line, and in that case I would move all the numbers for that quadrant. An example would be a shaded figure (triangle) with all endpoints labelled and it is positioned to the bottom and right of quadrant II.
While in print there may only be a shaded figure in one of the quadrants, but the reader is asked to rotate or slide, etc. the figure, I would probably keep the other quadrants in the tactile graphic. That way, when I transcribe the answer section at the back of the book, I can use the same graphic and add the additional position of the figure. I would not break a graphed line in order to add a label (even though they are sometimes broken in print.I hope this information answers your questions. I do not know when the "Guidelines" will be available for sale. They include an additional volume of 60 tactiles in various media that would take some time to produce, collate, and bind for mass distribution. I'm sure that announcements will be made in this regard.
Betty
Sorry Betty, after rereading your attachment, I see you answered the issue of quadrants. Your grid is very helpful. Thank you. But there is always another question - if the X and Y labels do not appear in print, should they be brailled?
Betty,
Thank you for your help, but I still need some clarification. I was wondering if there are some tactile requirements regardless of the print grid. As to arrowheads, do I need arrowheads in all directions? With regard to the quantity and position of labels, can I omit all but one number in each direction? If so, where should that number be placed? Some of my print grids don't have any labels, what is the minimum I need? If the print origin is labeled with a 0, do I need to include that in braille? Can a label be placed on either side of the axis? If a function line only appears in one quadrant, should I exclude the other three quadrants? If a label interfers with a function line, should I split the line, or omit the label?When will the Tactile Graphics Guidelines that were recently adopted by BANA be available to members?
Barbara
I have attached a document containing answers and examples concerning your questions. It will be [u]wonderful[/u] to have the Guidelines and Standards for Tactile Graphics finally published!! This will give you a "sneak preview" of what to expect.
Betty
What an interesting illustration!! I've never encountered anything like it! After doing some research and in consultation with another tactile expert, I would recommend that you do present this as a tactile graphic.
Is this the only occurrence within the textbook? Has the use of the circles, oval, and square been explained elsewhere? Is the student asked to use this method in their work?
It seems to me that the square represents the "missing number" referred to in the question. And, that it is a "fast-array" because instead of showing the complete array, it combines the use of numbers along with the shapes from one row and one column of what the complete array would look like. i.e. In question 1, there are 8 circles representing the number of rows, and 9 circles representing the number of columns. (What I originally took for the number 28 in question 2, is actually 2 small circles with the number 2 placed beside them. If the transcriber is familiar with this type of drawing, this erroneous thinking would not occur!) The "missing number" would be the total number of circles in the complete array.
The use of the oval is not as clear. I assume that it indicates the method of solving the question, rather than indicating that there are too many circles to draw. Questions 2 and 3 involve division, rather than multiplication, to solve.
If anyone else has any insight on this type of illustration, please comment. It is my opinion that they should be done as a tactile, but they are certainly new to me. Perhaps others can shed further light on the subject.
