[duxuser] Fw: [braillenote] re: Math Programs
- From: "Terri Pannett" <pann1@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <duxuser@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 09:45:53 -0800
I am forwarding this message to this list because I thought perhaps someone
here could help this person. Please email your replies directly to the
person, not to me.
Terri, Amateur Radio call sign KF6CA. Army MARS call sign AAT9PX,
California
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gennett Roselle Ambubuyog" <gennett@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "BrailleNote discussion list" <braillenote@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2003 9:23 PM
Subject: [braillenote] re: Math Programs
: I'm sending this to the list rather than to Dr. Torpey only, because
others who are into math or know of blind people in that field and similar
specializations might help or have something to suggest. Those who don't
want to read about it could stop right here and discard my e-mail, of
course.
: Yes, I do use Maple but in the university I go to for my Master's,
they require us to use MatLab (Matrix Laboratory) and statistics software
that do not work well with JAWS. I end up memorizing sequences of commands
and in some situations, asking sighted people to check the screen. But more
importantly, I've been exploring for programs that would let me type math
symbols much easier than the Scientific Workplace. I'm looking into LaTech
this time because I've learned that it's simpler to type symbols if you know
the format of the corresponding code in the input text file. JAWS can't
read the output symbols, but it can read the input file which is in text.
Further, my area of concentration in Applied Math is Actuarial Science. My
major problem when typing actuarial symbols is that a letter would be
surrounded by numbers and other symbols. Say the capital letter A would have
superscripts and subscripts on the right side and left side, a bar or umlaut
(two dots) on top, and angles oriented
: in different positions to enclose some of the subscripts. All that trouble
just to represent one quantity or thing. A related problem is that the
Nemeth Code does not have equivalents for actuarial symbols and though I
could adopt its code for superscripts and subscripts, I find myself taking
up almost 15 to 20 cells just to write a single actuarial representation.
As a consequence, I've invented shortcut forms and Braille equivalents for
my own use. Now, I need to take a series of 10 to 25 actuarial exams from
an organization of professional actuaries in the US. I was supposed to take
the first test last November and have communicated with the org two months
before the examination date. However, they could not have the
questionnaires Brailled because the American Printing House for the Blind
and similar groups they've approached either said they needed 8 to 10 weeks
to Braille it (the organization could only release the questionnaires three
weeks before testing dates) or they cannot convert a
: ll symbols into Braille. Due to lack of preparation, I was advised to
postpone my taking the exam until the next testing season in May. We've
settled for tone-indexed tape-recording for the questionnaires but different
people read math in different ways so I don't know how this would go.
Besides, if I need to do computations, I'd better write the given data in
Braille first. What I'd like to hear is whether anyone of you know of a
blind person who's been in math (better yet, in Actuarial Science) with whom
I could correspond and get ideas from. I've been looking for one but to no
avail. It's probably because I live so far from the US and other countries
where blind people have more opportunities to enter into a field they're
interested in, unlike here. Being the only blind person in the Philippines
to be into math, there's little help I could get here, and the pressure to
excel despite blindness and prove that we could specialize in almost
anything is ever so increasing on me.
: Thanks to all who would reply. Oh and thank you Dr. Torpey for the
message.
:
: Best regards,
: Roselle
:
: >----- Original Message -----
: >From: "Torpey, Peter" <PTorpey@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
: >To: "'Gennett Roselle Ambubuyog'" <gennett@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
: >Date: Tue, 28 Jan 2003 17:02:11 -0500
: >Subject: Math Programs
:
: >Roselle,
:
: >I noticed in your post to the PDI mailing list that you are a math major.
I
: >am a blind physicist and thought you might want to know about a program I
: >have found to be very useful in performing mathematics.
:
: >There are several programs which perform symbolic (as well as numerical)
: >math. I use Jaws for Windows and have found that the program called
Maple
: >works very well with JFW for this purpose. Maybe you already use such
: >programs, but if you don't and would like to check this out, you can
: >download a demo copy (or have them send you a demo CD). their web site
is:
:
: >www.maplesoft.com
:
:
: >The program works well with speech and a braille display. If you are
: >interested and would find this useful, I can cut and paste a few demo
output
: >lines so you can see what it does.
:
: >Anyway, I don't get any commissions or anything from this, I just know
that
: >its unusual for blind folks to be doing higher level math and if someone
can
: >find a new tool that works for them, great!
:
: >Have fun, and good luck in school.
:
:
: >-- Pete
:
: >Dr. Peter A. Torpey
: >Research Fellow / Manager
: >XEROX CORPORATION
: >800 Phillips Road, MS 0114-44-D
: >Webster, New York 14580
: >Phone: (585)-422-0470
: >e-mail: ptorpey@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
:
:
:
:
:
: ---------------------
: You are currently subscribed to braillenote as: pann1@xxxxxxxxx
: To unsubscribe, Send a blank message to:
leave-braillenote-2866324J@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
:
* * *
* This message is via list duxuser at freelists.org.
* To unsubscribe, send a blank message with
* unsubscribe
* as the subject to <duxuser-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>. You may also
* subscribe, unsubscribe, and set vacation mode and other subscription
* options by visiting //www.freelists.org. The list archive
* is also located there.
* Duxbury Systems' web site is http://www.duxburysystems.com
* * *
Other related posts:
- » [duxuser] Fw: [braillenote] re: Math Programs
