Web tool for braille character recognition support for sighted users

• Roberto P. Nascimento Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul / Federal University of Western Pará http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2909-3189
• Vitor S. Campos Federal University of Western Pará
• Josivan R. Reis Federal University of Western Pará https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0949-4858
• Arthur S. Araújo Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9905-6850
• Regina Heidrich Feevale University
• Dante A. C. Barone Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5133-0144

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5753/sbie.2024.242245

Abstract

This paper presents a web tool called AprendaBraille, developed to assist sighted people in learning Braille, with a focus on educational professionals. The research evaluated the effectiveness of the tool through a study with 25 participants, using two structured questionnaires, one before and one after the use of the tool. The data collected were analyzed using the Wilcoxon statistical test (with a 5% significance level) and the Hake Gain method (to verify the percentage of learning gain). As a result, the sample provided statistical evidence that the difference between the pre- and post-test medians was significantly different (p < 0.001), with 80% of the participants showing a high learning gain. It is concluded that the tool can effectively contribute to the learning of Braille characters.

Keywords: Braille, Sighted people, Learn

References

BARBOSA, L. M. M.; SILVA, A. L. da; SOUZA, M. A. de. O Sistema Braille e a formação do professor: o acesso à leitura e a escrita por pessoas cegas. InFor, Inov. Form., Rev. NEaD-Unesp, v. 5, n. 1, p. 49–71, 2019. [link].

BOLA, Ł.; SIUDA-KRZYWICKA, K.; PAPLINSKA, M.; SUMERA, E.; HANCZUR, P.; SZWED, M. Braille in the Sighted: Teaching Tactile Reading to Sighted Adults. PLOS ONE, v. 11, n. 5, p. e0155394, may 2016. ISSN 1932-6203. [link].

BRANHAM, S. M.; KANE, S. K. The Invisible Work of Accessibility: How Blind Employees Manage Accessibility in Mixed-Ability Workplaces. In: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers Accessibility - ASSETS’15. New York, New York, USA: ACM Press, 2015. p. 163–171. ISBN 9781450334006. Disponível em: [link].

BRASIL. Ministério da Educação. Secretaria de Educação Especial. Grafia a Braille para a Língua Portuguesa. 2006.

BRASIL. Convenção sobre os direitos das pessoas com deficiência - Lei Brasileira de Inclusão da Pessoal com Deficiência. Brasília, DF: Ministério da Justiça e Cidadania (Secretaria Especial dos Direitos da Pessoa com Deficiência), 2016. 140 p. Disponível em: [link].

DANTAS, R. Ensinar alunos com deficiência visual: conflitos e desenvolvimento. 314f p. Dissertação (Mestrado em Linguística e ensino) — Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa-PB, 2014. Disponível em: [link].

GADIRAJU, V.; MUEHLBRADT, A.; KANE, S. K. BrailleBlocks: Computational Braille Toys for Collaborative Learning. Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings, p. 1–12, 2020.

GIULIERI, O. Braille-tools. 2018. Disponível em: [link]. Acessado em 28 de fevereiro de 2024.

HAKE, R. R. Interactive-engagement versus traditional methods: A six-thousand-student survey of mechanics test data for introductory physics courses. American Journal of Physics, v. 66, n. 1, p. 64–74, jan 1998. ISSN 0002-9505. Disponível em: [link].

HARRIS, L. N.; GLADFELTER, A.; SANTUZZI, A. M.; LECH, I. B.; RODRIGUEZ, R.; LOPEZ, L. E.; SOTO, D.; LI, A. Braille literacy as a human right: A challenge to the “inefficiency” argument against braille instruction. International Journal of Psychology, v. 58, n. 1, p. 52–58, feb 2023. ISSN 0020-7594. Disponível em: [link].

Jamovi. The jamovi project (2022). (Version 2.3) [Computer Software]. 2022. Disponível em: [link]. Acessado em 10 de maio de 2023.

JOHN, F. Proponents Say the Decline in Braille Instruction Is Leading to Illiteracy. 2006. Disponível em: [link]. Acessado em: 10 de fevereiro de 2024.

MEDRADO, B. P.; DANTAS, R. Docência e inclusão: o Braille virtual como ferramenta na formação de professores. Linguagem: Estudos e Pesquisas, v. 22, n. 1, p. 247–265, aug 2018. ISSN 2358-1042. Disponível em: [link].

NASCIMENTO, R.; BARONE, D.; ARAÚJO, A.; HEIDRICH, R. Standard-Based Braille Learning: a new proposal for teaching the Braille system. In: 2023 32nd Annual Conference of the European Association for Education in Electrical and Information Engineering (EAEEIE). [S.l.]: IEEE, 2023. p. 1–6.

NASCIMENTO, R.; BARONE, D.; REIS, J.; ARAÚJO, A.; HEIDRICH, R. Avaliação de uma proposta de aprendizagem do sistema braille para videntes. In: Anais do VIII Congresso sobre Tecnologias na Educação. Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil: SBC, 2023. p. 222–231. ISSN 0000-0000. Disponível em: [link].

NASCIMENTO, R. P.; CAMPOS, V. d. S.; REIS, J. R.; HEIDRICH, R. d. O.; BARONE, D. A. C. Desenvolvimento de uma ferramenta web para auxiliar no aprendizado braille. Anais CIET:Horizonte, v. 7, n. 1, jul. 2024. Disponível em: [link].

PARADEDA, R. B.; Francisco de Luna e Silva, A.; GRANATYR, J.; SIGNORETTI, A. BrailleApp - Educational Mobile Application to Assist in the Learning of Braille Language. In: Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Computer Supported Education. SCITEPRESS - Science and and Technology Publications, 2015. v. 2, n. May, p. 523–529. ISBN 978-989-758-108-3. Disponível em: [link].

PUTNAM, B. C.; TIGER, J. H. Teaching braille letters, numerals, punctuation, and contractions to sighted individuals. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, v. 48, n. 2, p. 466–471, jun 2015. ISSN 00218855. Disponível em: [link].

PUTNAM, B. C.; TIGER, J. H. T. Assessing generative braille responding following training in a matching-to-sampleformat. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, v. 49, n. 4, p. 751–767, dec 2016. ISSN 00218855. Disponível em: [link].

ROGERS, S. Learning braille and print together — the mainstream issues. British Journal of Visual Impairment, v. 25, n. 2, p. 120–132, 2007. Disponível em: DOI: 10.1177/0264619607075994.

SÁ, E. D. de; CAMPOS, I. M. de; SILVA, M. B. C. Atendimento educacional especializado: Deficiência Visual. Seesp/Seed/Mec, p. 1–57, 2007. Disponível em: [link].

SCHEITHAUER, M. C.; TIGER, J. H. a Computer-Based Program To Teach Braille Reading To Sighted Individuals. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, v. 45, n. 2, p. 315–327, 2012. ISSN 00218855.

SCHEITHAUER, M. C.; TIGER, J. H.; MILLER, S. J. On the efficacy of a computer-based program to teach visual braille reading. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, v. 46, n. 2, p. 436–443, 2013. ISSN 00218855.

SUN, W.; CHEN, Y. A Study of an All-in-One Machine for Braille Learning and Testing. 2022 IEEE 2nd International Conference on Power, Electronics and Computer Applications, ICPECA 2022, IEEE, n. January, p. 348–351, 2022.

TOBIN, M. J.; HILL, E. W. Is literacy for blind people under threat? does braille have a future? British Journal of Visual Impairment, v. 33, n. 3, p. 239–250, 2015. Disponível em: DOI: 10.1177/0264619615591866.

TOUSSAINT, K. A.; SCHEITHAUER, M. C.; TIGER, J. H.; SAUNDERS, K. J. Teaching identity matching of braille characters to beginning braille readers. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, v. 50, n. 2, p. 278–289, 2017. ISSN 19383703.

VACA, D.; JACOME, C.; SAETEROS, M.; CAIZA, G. Braille Grade 1 Learning and Monitoring System. In: 2018 IEEE 2nd Colombian Conference on Robotics and Automation (CCRA). IEEE, 2018. p. 1–5. ISBN 978-1-5386-8464-1. Disponível em: [link].