Visualizing advanced Math as a blind person has been a mystery to me. Unfortunately, I have not taken the time since becoming blind to understand methods blind people use. I have a degree in Electrical Engineering and have taken highly advanced math since 6th grade. I have never been super quick at standard memorized tables. I loved concepts and deriving formulas. Complex equations to me were very conceptual and visual. In High School, I would take a few moments to look at a few very complex problems and work out the full page of details in my head while at swimming practice. I would do College work in a very similar manner, except while doing different activities, like washing dishes. Math was the only subject where I found this effective.
I have gotten lazy, math wise, and have not involved myself in anything requiring higher math since going blind. Unless you count attempting to make sense of the seemingly arbitrary amounts of Social Security they claim I owe. I guess the fact I can work difficult problems in my head is promising. What different methods are used to visualize the equations and visual aspects of such concepts. Is a mathematical extension to LeTek the best method? Perhaps I am not the mathematical wiz I used to be, but I should exercise those cells for a change!
Don MarangThere is just so much stuff in the world that, to me, is devoid of any real substance, value, and content that I just try to make sure that I am working on things that matter.
Dean Kamen -------------------------------------------------- From: "QuentinC" <quentinc@xxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 2010 10:44 AM To: <programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>Subject: Re: Screen readers and how to develop them: A historical perspective
I definitely think braille is necessary, and amazingly useful, when doing things like matrices, integrals, and complex derivatives,but there are other approaches to accomplish the same things.Last year, I did linear algebra and analysis only with speech synthesis, using a syntax close to common programming languages, or simplified latex.I think that's mainly a question of preference. Some people prefer read braille, some others prefer hear speech synthesis, and some are using both in the same time. It's different ways to get the same information, and everyone use the one which he/she is more comfortable with.We could also discuss different ways to represent something in the space. That's the same: some people prefer touch things, when some others are OK with navigation in a 2D or 3D virtual view divided into cells, or a description of important points with coordinates.__________View the list's information and change your settings at //www.freelists.org/list/programmingblind
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