Summer School Barrier-free Communication Overview Delivery: The Summer School consists of 25 plenary sessions and approximately 15 hours of guided self-study (practical tasks and exercises). In both the plenary and the self-study sessions, there will be the opportunity to work actively with technologies and applications. Certification: Language: On successful completion of the Summer School, participants will receive a ZHAW Certificate of Attendance and 3 ECTS credits. English When: 17 to 21 July 2017 Application deadline: 15 June 2017 Duration: 5 days Fees: CHF 1000 Registration: Contact details: https://weiterbildung.zhaw.ch/en/school-of-appliedlinguistics/program/summer-school-barrier-free-communication.html Martin Kappus, Ph.D. ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences School of Applied Linguistics IUED Institute of translation and interpreting Theaterstrasse 15c, 8401 Winterthur Tel: 058 934 62 37 E-Mail: martin.kappus@zhaw.ch Summer School Barrier-free communication (2017) Zurich University of Applied Sciences 1/6
Description The Centre for Computational Linguistics at the ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences is pleased to announce the 2nd Summer School in Barrier-free Communication, to be held in Winterthur on 17-21 July 2017. During this 5-day programme, participants will have the unique opportunity to become acquainted with leading barrier-free communication methods and familiarise themselves with relevant software applications in guided practical sessions. The programme will focus on speech-to-text reporting (traditional), respeaking, audio description, easy-to-read language and web content accessibility. Alongside concise theoretical introductions to each method, priority will be given to the hands-on use of software applications based on real-life tasks. Programme: Day 1: Speech-to-text reporting (traditional) Methods, strategies and tools for speech-to-text reporting. Spoken language is entered into a computer by keyboard and transferred into live subtitles. Traditional speech-to-text reporting can help the hearing-impaired attend presentations, lectures and similar events. Day 2: Respeaking Methods and tools for respeaking (live subtitling for the hearing-impaired by means of speech recognition software). Spoken language is translated into written live subtitles by means of speech recognition and subtitling software. Respeaking allows for live TV broadcasts to be subtitled quickly and efficiently. Day 3: Audio description Methods and tools for producing audio descriptions (audio-described films for the visually impaired). Images and other visual media are translated into oral descriptions. Day 4: Easy-to-read language Methods and tools for producing texts in easy-to-read language using corpora, CAT-tools and terminology management systems. Both specialised and everyday texts are translated into the clearest and simplest language possible. Day 5: Web content accessibility How can web content be made fully accessible to people with disabilities? The emphasis here falls on linguistic aspects (i.e. easy-to-read language, image descriptions and text alternatives) and the hands-on use of the methods acquired to provide barrier-free audio-visual content. Participants will benefit from the cutting-edge infrastructure at ZHAW, which includes a range of applications unparalleled in European academic institutions. They will have access to FAB Subtitler Live (developed specifically for respeaking), software for the production of audio descriptions and other language-technology applications. The Summer School s lecturers are all highly experienced faculty members. Barrier-free Communication (2017) 2/6
Target audience The Summer School is aimed primarily at students of linguistics, translation and related areas of study who wish to gain first-hand experience in the field of barrier-free communication. The Summer School also welcomes applications from anyone interested in acquiring a basic knowledge of the abovementioned concepts, applications and tools. Aims The Summer School offers participants the chance to gain a full appreciation of the theoretical foundations of barrier-free communication as well as first-hand experience of relevant practice-oriented applications. Students from study programmes focussing mainly on theoretical subjects are thus given the rare opportunity to acquire hands-on knowledge of barrier-free communication tools and to prepare themselves for the specific requirements of the respective occupational fields. Collaborations The Centre for Computational Linguistics cooperates closely with a number of Swiss and international organisations active in the field of barrier-free communication. Accessibility The Summer School is committed to providing an accessible study environment. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact us as soon as possible to ensure that special arrangements are made to accommodate their needs. Barrier-free Communication (2017) 3/6
Contents Day 1 - Overview of barrier-free communication and speech-to-text reporting Introduction: Short survey of barrier-free communication methods. Speech-to-text reporting: Spoken language is entered into a computer by keyboard and transferred into live subtitles. Introduction to the key concepts of speech-to-text reporting, taking into account its linguistic, social and technical aspects. Presentation of relevant tools for speech-to-text reporting (production, information management and quality assurance). Participants will gain knowledge of the theoretical foundations of speech-to-text reporting and an understanding of interpreting strategies. They will learn how to prepare themselves efficiently for a speech-to-text reporting assignment and how to evaluate the product qualitatively. Day 2 - Respeaking Subtitling of live broadcasts by means of speech recognition: introduction, background, history and examples. Creating awareness of the concepts and challenges of respeaking: Linguistic aspects Social aspects Technical aspects Speech recognition (speech-to-text systems) as a respeaking tool: background, functionality and history. Hands-on introduction to the Dragon Naturally Speaking dictation system. Introduction to the use of FAB Subtitler Live respeaking software (combined with Dragon Naturally Speaking). Respeaking of a segment by participants. Participants will acquire knowledge of the theoretical foundations and challenges of respeaking, will learn how to apply the Dragon Naturally Speaking dictation system efficiently in respeaking tasks and will be able to use the FAB Subtitler Live respeaking software independently. Day 3 Audio description Audio-described films for the visually impaired: introduction, background, history and examples. Production of audio descriptions: challenges and best practice. Introduction to the use of various software applications for the production of audio descriptions. Audio description of a short film segment by participants. Participants will gain knowledge of the theoretical foundations and challenges of audio description. They will be able to use a software application for audio description independently. Barrier-free Communication (2017) 4/6
Day 4 - Easy-to-read language What is easy-to-read language? Introduction, background, history and examples. There are several guidelines and recommendations for writing in easy-to-read language. Where do those guidelines overlap and in what respects do they differ? Easy-to-read language and language technology: How can language technology be effectively applied to producing texts in easy-to-read language? Creation of a corpus for effective production of texts in easy-to-read language using language technology tools. Production of a text in easy-to-read language using appropriate software tools. Participants will acquire knowledge of the theoretical foundations and challenges of producing texts in easy-to-read language. They will be able to use software applications for producing texts in easy-to-read language independently. Day 5 Web content accessibility How can web content be made fully accessible to people with disabilities? The emphasis falls on linguistic aspects i.e. use of easy-to-read language, image descriptions, text alternatives etc. How can concepts like subtitling, audio description and easy-to-read language be effectively integrated into website design? Participants will gain knowledge of the key concepts of web content accessibility by taking into account linguistic aspects of accessibility and by integrating the concepts and technologies presented on previous days into accessible web design. Barrier-free Communication (2017) 5/6
Tentative schedule (subject to change) 9:00 13:00 Monday (17 July) Tuesday (18 July) Wednesday (19 July) Thursday (20 July) Friday (21 July) Introduction to barrier-free Respeaking Audio description Easy-to-read language Barrier-free web sites communication Subtitling of live broadcasts by Audio described films for the What is easy-to-read How can web content be What is barrier-free means of speech recognition: visually impaired: language? Introduction, made fully accessible? communication? introduction, background, introduction, background, background, history and What linguistic aspects should Concepts, foundations and history and examples. Creating history and examples. examples. be taken into account? challenges awareness of the concepts and The production of audio Easy-to-read language and Guidelines, standards and Speech-to-text reporting challenges of respeaking: descriptions: challenges and language technology: how can evaluation tools for accessible Introduction to the key Linguistic aspects best practice. language technology be websites. concepts of speech-to-text Social aspects Introduction to the use of effectively applied to Use of easy-to-read language, reporting. Overview of Technical aspects various software applications producing texts in easy-toread image descriptions, text distinctive interpreting Speech recognition (speech-totext for the production of audio language? Creation of a alternatives etc. strategies with reference to systems) as a respeaking descriptions. Audio corpus for effective Integration of subtitles, audio speech-to-text reporting. tool: background, functionality description of a short film production of texts in easy-toread descriptions and easy-to-read Text-on-Top, software for and history. segment by participants. language using language language into accessible web speech-to-text reporting. Hands-on introduction to technology tools. Production design. Information management in Dragon Naturally Speaking of a text in easy-to-read speech-to-text reporting. dictation system. language using appropriate Quality assurance in speechto-text Introduction to the use of FAB software tools. reporting. Subtitler Live respeaking software. Respeaking of a segment by participants. Lunch 14:00 17:00 Autonomous learning and guided self-study: Hands-on use of the applications introduced in the morning sessions. Conclusion Summer School Barrier-free communication (2017) Zurich University of Applied Sciences 6/6