←back to thread

Accessible open textbooks in math-heavy disciplines

(richardzach.org)
235 points volemo | 1 comments | 29 Mar 25 16:38 UTC | HN request time: 0.201s | source
Show context
miki123211 ◴[29 Mar 25 18:28 UTC] No.43517478[source]▶
> Switch the language on foreign terms and names so that screen readers can pronounce them in the right voice.

Screen reader user here. Don't actually do this, this is bad advice.

Just like a lecturer won't suddenly switch to a German accent when saying words like "schadenfreude" or names like "Friedrich Nietzsche", neither should a screen reader. Having your voice constantly change under you for no apparent reason is distracting more than anything else.

What you should do this for are longer pieces of text in a foreign language, like a multi-paragraph piece of text to analyze in a foreign language textbook.

replies(5): >>43517532 #>>43517647 #>>43518226 #>>43518965 #>>43534553 #
1. xworld21 ◴[29 Mar 25 20:01 UTC] No.43518226[source]▶
> Just like a lecturer won't suddenly switch to a German accent when saying words like "schadenfreude" or names like "Friedrich Nietzsche"

Is there a middle ground? Whenever I check my content with a screen reader, uncommon foreign names are often mispronounced in ways that are sometimes almost irrecognisable. Even my name comes out wrong, although it would be understandable (typically, the stress ends up on the wrong syllable).