bangla brailletalkv2

Bangla BrailleBangla BrailleSyed Akhter Hossain, Ph.D.

Professor and HeadDepartment of Computer Science and Engg.

Daffodil International UniversityDhaka, Bangladesh

aktarhossain@{yahoo.com, daffodilvarsity.edu.bd}

1st International Bangla Computational Linguistics Symposium, 2015

Organized by:

Presented at SUST, Friday 22 May, 2015

IBCLS 2015 @ SUST, 22 May 2015 2Bangla Braille

Discussion Outline

• Introduction• What is Bangla Braille?• What are challenges?• Related works• Sharing of Joy• Research Directions• Conclusion• References

Bangla Braille 3IBCLS 2015 @ SUST, 22 May 2015

{people and contributions}{excitements}

{points to ponder}

Introduction (1/2)

• A survey by CDD in Bangladesh indicates that 5.6% of the total population is being identified with certain form of disability [Research by CDD, 2009]

• This percentage accounts to a total about 10-11 million

• Within this, ratio of multiple disability is 10.7% [as per study report of CDD]

IBCLS 2015 @ SUST, 22 May 2015 4

CDD: Center for Disability in Development

Bangla Braille

Introduction (2/2)

• Number of visually impaired individual is more than 4+ million [source : WHO and CDD studies]

• Number is not static … !!!• Education opportunity is less than 1% [source:

UNICEF and WHO]• Growing concern of the world to meet WSIS

mandates and MDG goals


What is Bangla Braille?

• Braille is a system of raised dots that can be read with the fingers by people who are blind or who have low vision [www.afb.org/].

• Bangla Braille is the representation on Bangla into corresponding Braille code

• Each Braille cell consists of 6 dot positions [Frenchman Louis Braille, 1821]


What are challenges?

• 100% correct translation of Bangla to Braille– Machine translation with correct grammatical rules

• Braille editing, proof reading, archive– Audible editing of Braille codes– Enable Bangla Braille to speech– Enable archiving for Bangla Braille contents

• Accessible printing of Bangla Braille– Off the shelf index printing facility– Innovation of paper for sustainable reading


Related Works

• TextBraille is a Braille transcription software for Indian languages (Ono & Takagi, 2000)

• Hossain (Hossain & Shams, 2005) took a project to design and implement Bangla Braille embosser, a Braille keyboard interface with the computer, to help visually impaired using the computer with ease.

• Yousuf (Yousuf & Shams, 2007) illustrated some ideas on translation of Bangla text into Braille.


Related Works

• Bhattachrya (Bhattachrya & Basu, 2007) on speech enabled communication system called Sanyog proposed a computer based speech enabled another form of communication system for speech and motor impairment kind of disabilities in India.

• Braille Publishing System used by CDD in 2008/2009 (non-unicode and proprietary font based with WinBraille) by Mustafa Jabbar (not MT)


Related Works

• Dasgupta (Dasgupta & Basu, 2009) developed a system called Sparsha to facilitate speech enabled bidirectional automatic Braille transliteration system for Indian languages.

• English and Hindi text to Braille representation is implemented in Java (Singh & Vatia, 2010).


Related Works

• Hossain (S.A.Hossain & et.al, 2010) developed MT called Bangla-2-Braille for Bangla Braille with 100% correct grammer and rules

• Braille conversion in different languages (Khan & Shet, 2005; Pramait, 2002; Hopcroft, 2007).

• Bangla Braille creation initiatives by Ragib Hasan through FB group « BanglaBraille » in 2013


Sharing of Joy“Bangla-2-Braille”

• Received Best Innovation Award 2011, Digital Innovation Award 2012

• 1st Machine Translated book 27 February 2011• Bangla-2-Braille and First MT book ceremony• NCTB Class IX-Class X book news 13 April 2013• Some Pics of NCTB Braille Books• TechWorld Bangladesh 1st IT Magazine February

2015• TechWorld IT Magazine Pics• Book Chapter at IGI Global


Users of“Bangla-2-Braille”

• Bengal Foundation• BERDO– Distributing to other similar organizations

• VBIPS• Different Integrated Schools• YPSA


Research Directions

• Mixed Language Braille Translation • Integrate Bangla Text-2-Speech (TTS)• Audible Braille Editing• Speech Enabled Braille Editing• Braille to Speech (BTS) and Speech to Braille

(STB)


Conclusion

• Bangla Braille based on Unicode Bangla plays central role in the seamless transformations

• Bangla-2-Braille Machine Translator is used widely in Bangladesh for the automation of Bangla Braille content

• Further research lead to enhanced Bangla Braille MT is overdue in order to meet the growing demands of the community


References• Abualkishik, A. M., & Omar, K. (2009). Quran vibrations in Braille code. In Proceedings of the International

Conference on Electrical Engineering and Informatics, (pp. 12-17). Selangor, Malaysia: IEEE.• Belousov, S., & Coopery, M. Yonina, Dias, B., Dias, M., Horwitz, F., … Teves, E. A. (2011). Study report on

disabilities: iSTEP Bangladesh (Tech. Report CMU-RI-TR-35). Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Melon University.• Bhattachrya, S., Sarker, S., & Basu, A. (2007). Sanyog: A speech enabled communication system for the

speech impaired and people with multiple disorders. Journal of Technology in Human Services, 25(1/2).• Dasgupta, T., & Basu, A. (2009). Automatic transliteration of indian language text to Braille for the visually

challenged in India. Information Technology in Developing Countries, 19.• Hossain, G., & Asaduzzaman, M.A., Ullah, & Saif Shams, S. M. (2005). Bangla Braille embosser: A tool for

Bengali speaking visually impaired people. Bangladesh Education Journal, 4(1), 49–55.• Khan, D. O., & Shet, K. C. (2005). A new Architecture for Braille transcription from optically recognized

Indian languages. In Proceedings of International Conference. London: Academic Press.• King, A. (2001). Text and Braille computer translation. (Dissertation). University of Manchester Institute of

Science and Technology. Manchester, UK.• Lahiri, A., Chattopadhyay, S. J., & Basu, A. (2005). A comprehensive Indian languages tool set for• the blind. In Proceedings of the 7th International Conference Conference on Computers and Accessibility.

ACM.


References• Singh, M., & Vatia, P. (2010). Automated conversion of English and Hindi text to

Braille representation. International Journal of Computers and Applications, 4(5), 18–24.

• Titumir, R. A. M., & Hossain, J. (2005). Disability in Bangladesh: Prevalence, knowledge, attitudes and practices. Dhaka, Bangladesh: Unnayan Onneshan.

• Yousuf, M. A., & Shams, S. M. S. (2007). Bangla Braille information system: An affordable system for the sightless population. Asian Journal of Information Technology, 6(6), 696–699.

• Zhang, X., Ortega-Sanchez, C., & Murray, L. (2007). A hardware based Braille note taker. In Proceedings of the 3rd Southern Conference on Programmable Logic, (pp. 125-130). Mar del Plata, Argentina.

• M A Karim, M Kaykobad, M Murshed, “Technical Challenges and Design Issues in Bangla Language Processing”, IGI Global, July, USA, 2013

• Fakhruddin Muhammad Mahbub-ul-Islam, Ahamad Imtiaz Khan, Md Osman Gani, Samiul Azam, Syed Akhter Hossain, “Computational Model for Bangla Text to Braille Translation”, 2nd International Conference on Computer Processing of Bangla, Independent University Bangladesh, February, 2011


1st International Bangla Computational Linguistics Symposium, 2015

Organized by:

Presented at SUST, Friday 22 May, 2015

Thanks for your patience hearing

Your Thoughts

IBCLS 2015 @ SUST, 22 May 2015 18

bangla brailletalkv2

Education

bangla braille embosser

development bangla braille

braille cell

braille publishing system

braille machine translation

braille transcription

corresponding braille

braille keyboard interface