Page 30 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 10(2) (2022)
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new and affordable ways to help students readstudia universitatis her editati, letnik 10 (2022), številk a 2 / volume 10 (2022), number 2 30Museum of Modern Art, have made exhibitions
print-based or digital texts that have no audio for visitors with hearing loss.
equivalents. TTS technologies provide studentshereditati
with the ability to hear virtually any text read This platform was completely designed fol-
aloud with a synthesized voice. TTS software is lowing the Web Content Accessibility Guide-
one example of assistive technology that has be- lines (WCAG) 2.1, which promotes accessible
come a more common tool for struggling readers web content. The UNESCO basic and advanced
in schools and colleges, and has been widely ac- guidelines for the preparation for an accessi-
cepted as a form of accommodation for students ble Digital Documentary Heritage (UNES-
with disabilities (Mishev et al. 2020). CO, 2020) were also followed. Accessibility was
considered at every step of the document digiti-
TTS has also been effective in improving zation, sufficient funds for disability were allo-
reading skills of struggling readers. A study con- cated, persons with disabilities and experts in
ducted by Robert Stodden and colleagues (Stod- disability were included in every step of the pro-
den et al. 2012) showed that readers that use TTS cess, and the content was described using simple,
had improved reading rates, vocabulary and understandable language. The entire platform
comprehension. This was also shown in another was created having accessibility in minds and ac-
study conducted by Sarah Wood and colleagues cessibility awareness training was organized for
(Wood et al. 2018). The authors confirmed that different stakeholders. Digital images are accom-
Text-to-speech/read aloud presentation positive- panied by a text descriptor for the key features
ly impacts reading comprehension for individu- and in the highest resolution possible, PDF doc-
als with reading disabilities. uments are screen-readable, videos are accompa-
nied by captions in sign language and an audio
Sign languages of deaf communities all description by using TTS. The content is pro-
around the globe are complete human languages vided in five languages: Macedonian, English,
with full expressive power. Sign was once viewed Greek, Slovenian and Italian.
as nothing more than a system of pictorial ges-
tures without linguistic structure (Каровска Conclusion
Ристовска 2014). In the past, sign languag- Heritage is always associated with living, cultur-
es have been disputed in linguistic research and al, museum, national, local, and ritual practic-
haven’t been defined as real languages. This was es. Accessibility of cultural heritage would mean
due to the differences in sentence production that every individual, regardless of his/hers limi-
in sign and spoken languages. Like spoken lan- tations can experience cultural heritage sites.
guages, sign languages have their own grammat-
ical rules and linguistic structures. Sign languag- How can we improve the experience and
es do not follow the same grammatical patterns learning of persons with disabilities in terms of
as spoken languages and there is a need for a sub- archaeological sites and cultural heritage? 3D
stantially different conception of grammar (Mi- scanning, 3D printing and carving technology
shev et al. 2022). This makes the task of trans- has made it possible to recreate objects and ar-
lating between spoken and signed languages a chitecture with a high degree of precision and in
complex problem, as it is not simply an exercise a form that allows visitors to have a tactile ex-
of mapping text to gestures word-by-word. perience of these materials. Some suggestions for
accessible museums and accessible cultural her-
Sign language apps used for museum exhi- itage include: 3D modelling; Promoting tactile
bitions and accessible web-platforms have been exhibits, complete with braille, large print, and
thriving as well (such as Signly and ARCHES), audio exhibition guides; Use of digital technolo-
and many museums in different countries, such gies to guide visitors with different access needs;
as the Van Gogh Museum and the Metropolitan Creation of iOS and Android apps that chart
print-based or digital texts that have no audio for visitors with hearing loss.
equivalents. TTS technologies provide studentshereditati
with the ability to hear virtually any text read This platform was completely designed fol-
aloud with a synthesized voice. TTS software is lowing the Web Content Accessibility Guide-
one example of assistive technology that has be- lines (WCAG) 2.1, which promotes accessible
come a more common tool for struggling readers web content. The UNESCO basic and advanced
in schools and colleges, and has been widely ac- guidelines for the preparation for an accessi-
cepted as a form of accommodation for students ble Digital Documentary Heritage (UNES-
with disabilities (Mishev et al. 2020). CO, 2020) were also followed. Accessibility was
considered at every step of the document digiti-
TTS has also been effective in improving zation, sufficient funds for disability were allo-
reading skills of struggling readers. A study con- cated, persons with disabilities and experts in
ducted by Robert Stodden and colleagues (Stod- disability were included in every step of the pro-
den et al. 2012) showed that readers that use TTS cess, and the content was described using simple,
had improved reading rates, vocabulary and understandable language. The entire platform
comprehension. This was also shown in another was created having accessibility in minds and ac-
study conducted by Sarah Wood and colleagues cessibility awareness training was organized for
(Wood et al. 2018). The authors confirmed that different stakeholders. Digital images are accom-
Text-to-speech/read aloud presentation positive- panied by a text descriptor for the key features
ly impacts reading comprehension for individu- and in the highest resolution possible, PDF doc-
als with reading disabilities. uments are screen-readable, videos are accompa-
nied by captions in sign language and an audio
Sign languages of deaf communities all description by using TTS. The content is pro-
around the globe are complete human languages vided in five languages: Macedonian, English,
with full expressive power. Sign was once viewed Greek, Slovenian and Italian.
as nothing more than a system of pictorial ges-
tures without linguistic structure (Каровска Conclusion
Ристовска 2014). In the past, sign languag- Heritage is always associated with living, cultur-
es have been disputed in linguistic research and al, museum, national, local, and ritual practic-
haven’t been defined as real languages. This was es. Accessibility of cultural heritage would mean
due to the differences in sentence production that every individual, regardless of his/hers limi-
in sign and spoken languages. Like spoken lan- tations can experience cultural heritage sites.
guages, sign languages have their own grammat-
ical rules and linguistic structures. Sign languag- How can we improve the experience and
es do not follow the same grammatical patterns learning of persons with disabilities in terms of
as spoken languages and there is a need for a sub- archaeological sites and cultural heritage? 3D
stantially different conception of grammar (Mi- scanning, 3D printing and carving technology
shev et al. 2022). This makes the task of trans- has made it possible to recreate objects and ar-
lating between spoken and signed languages a chitecture with a high degree of precision and in
complex problem, as it is not simply an exercise a form that allows visitors to have a tactile ex-
of mapping text to gestures word-by-word. perience of these materials. Some suggestions for
accessible museums and accessible cultural her-
Sign language apps used for museum exhi- itage include: 3D modelling; Promoting tactile
bitions and accessible web-platforms have been exhibits, complete with braille, large print, and
thriving as well (such as Signly and ARCHES), audio exhibition guides; Use of digital technolo-
and many museums in different countries, such gies to guide visitors with different access needs;
as the Van Gogh Museum and the Metropolitan Creation of iOS and Android apps that chart
