1. It’s easier than you think
OCR Everywhere!
It’s easier than you think
Yurika Vu & Vanessa Herndon * California School for the Blind

2. What is OCR? Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
OCR technology recognizes text within images such as scanned documents, photos of text, and PDFs. OCR converts this kind of text into digital text data.
Once a scanned paper document, image, or PDF goes through OCR processing, the text of the document can be read aloud, edited with word processors like Microsoft Word or Google Docs.

3. OCR workflow
Obtain an image
Recognition
Read!

4. When could you use OCR? Print paper forms Signage Menu
Bus and transportation schedules
Nutrition information and labeling
Street and building signs
PDFs
Signage- think of the DMV
Menu- behind the counter menus (cafes)

5. We will be demonstrating the use of OCR
With documents
Google Drive on a computer
Scanner pro
KNFB Reader (BrailleNote Touch and Polaris)
Documents and more
Seeing AI
AIRA

6. Making Documents Accessible

7. Google Drive

8. Scanner Pro Demo $3.99 IOS only
Scanner Pro is a great app for low vision users. It can be used by Voice Over users as well, however, there is one essential step that is not accessible with voiceover.

9. Once it is in google drive you can edit it
Get it in braille, audio, large print, use it with any of your AT

10. OCR on Note Takers- BrailleNote Touch
Built in on the Touch!

11. OCR on Note Takers- Polaris
$99

12. OCR and
BEYOND!

13. Seeing AI

14. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1KnrwpXQa2XO2U1CKMghNxGwvvCsuKoZv

16. When should you use these devices?
Documents/text
Plain text
Text with images
Tables
Math
Curved surfaces (jars, prescription bottles)
Signs
Other
Description of pictures or environment
Navigating an unfamiliar environment

17. Do we have any volunteers?
AIRA
Do we have any volunteers?

18. Test it out!
Download the Aira app, Scanner Pro ($3.99) and/or the SeeingAI (iOS only) app and test them out for yourselves!
Come and get hands on practice on the Polaris or Touch