Graphic Transcription

The process of converting visual graphics (charts, maps, floor plans, diagrams) into formats accessible to blind and visually impaired users, such as tactile graphics, audio descriptions, or interactive multimodal representations using sonification and speech. Graphic transcription can be performed at the development stage (annotating graphics during production) or at the end-user stage (converting existing graphics after publication). Manual transcription by expert transcribers using tools like CorelDRAW is highly accurate but prohibitively expensive and slow — estimates suggest transcribing a single graphics-heavy textbook can cost over AUD 120,000 and take several months. This has driven research into semi-automated and fully automated transcription methods using image processing, computer vision, and structured formats like SVG to reduce cost and increase scalability.