A Stellenbosch University graduate’s solution to the time-consuming process of converting Afrikaans text to braille is being hailed as a breakthrough for teaching.
De Pallier Gerber‚ a computer science graduate‚ developed a computer program for his Honours Degree class‚ making it possible for the first time to instantly switch between the languages at the click of a mouse.
Gerber developed the program for the Pioneer School for the Blind in Worcester in the Western Cape. The school caters for visually impaired and disabled learners.
“I wrote the program in such a way that there are different levels of complexity between Grade 1 and Grade 2 braille. A teacher can now prepare text and then decide‚ with the click of the mouse‚ on which level they want to present it‚” said Gerber‚ in a statement issued by Stellenbosch University.
Hannes Byleveldt‚ vice principal at the school‚ said the program would help with lesson preparation and slash the time taken to convert reading material from Afrikaans to braille.
“At present the preparation of lesson material is a very time-consuming process. Everything we prepare for the learners‚ first needs to be converted via a program so that it can be printed in braille by a special printer‚ after which the material is distributed in class. The program that we are currently using is not 100% accurate and someone has to proofread everything. The learners then complete the exercise or test on an electronic braille writer. Then it has to be converted to text for the teacher to mark their work‚” said Byleveldt.
Byleveldt said Braille experts were not always readily available which would further delay the conversion process and learning.
Gerber’s program will allow teachers to compare what a learner wrote in braille with the Afrikaans equivalent on a computer screen and give feedback immediately.
“This means I will now be able to teach like any other teacher in a mainstream school‚” said Byleveldt.
The technology will also allow text books to be converted to braille at a quicker pace than before.
Pioneer principal Paul Greyling said the breakthrough would allow the school to teach more subjects. “We cannot offer all the subjects a learner needs to qualify for admission to university. This program opens up so many possibilities.”
Gerber was awarded his BSc Hons degree in Computer Science in December.
Prof Lynette van Zijl‚ a researcher at the university’s computer science division‚ said once the program was running smoothly at the school‚ it would be distributed to other institutions or schools.
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