Work

Creating an Adaptive Technology Using a Cheminformatics System To Read Aloud Chemical Compound Names for People with Visual Disabilities

Year: 2015

Type: article

Abstract: Various tactile methods, such as Braille, have been employed to enhance the recognition ability of chemical structures by individuals with visual disabilities. However, it is unknown whether reading aloud the names of chemical compounds would be effective in this regard. There are no systems currently available using an audio component to assist in the recognition of chemical structures. This study aims to establish the essential requirements for the prototype Chemical Literature Extraction and Aloud-reading System (CLeArS) that enables visually impaired people to recognize a depicted chemical structure after hearing its name, which complies with the nomenclature adopted by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. Details of the methods employed in CLeArS and its execution are presented, in addition to the fundamental requirements for recognizing chemical structures using CLeArS. Experimental results on 450 images comprising both simple and complex chemical structures show a high recognition rate of 90% among subjects with visual disabilities. Thus, we conclude that reading aloud the names of chemical compounds is an effective method enabling students with impaired vision to recognize chemical structures.

Source: Journal of Chemical Education

DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.5b00217

Authors: Haruo Kamijo, Shingo Morii, Wataru Yamaguchi, Naoki Toyooka, Masahito Tada-Umezaki, Shigeki Hirobayashi

Institutions: Nihon University, University of Toyama, Nihon University Junior College

Language: English

Topic: Digital Accessibility for Disabilities

Subfield: Human Factors and Ergonomics

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,500

Funder: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science