I need to write extra version for blind people without braille

Question

I am writing a small math script and I also need to make version for blind people, but without braille. For example \frac{1}{2} shouldn't be literal fraction, but it should be 1 over 2. Can I override \frac command to write it the way I want it? If yes, how to do it? I was told that they are using a software to read them text, but that software can't read =, fractions, etc...

Thanks!

Answer 1

A really short example

\documentclass{book}

\usepackage{amsmath}

\renewcommand{\frac}[2]{#1\; \text{over}\; #2}%


\begin{document}
\begin{math}
  \frac{1}{3}
\end{math}


\end{document}

But I would rather use a new command instead overriding \frac, so I provide another version:

\documentclass{book}


\newcommand*{\readoutfrac}[2]{#1\; \textbf{over}\; #2}%

%%%%%
% Uncomment this if you want to have \frac behave like \literalfrac
% \renewcommand*{\frac}[2]{\readoutfrac{#1}{#2}}%


\begin{document}
\begin{math}
 \frac{1}{3} =  \readoutfrac{1}{3}
\end{math}

\end{document}

Please remove the \textbf{} at will, I just introduced it to make the word over as an eye-catcher ;-)

Another Version

I introduced some kind of a switch, which can be used any time to switch between traditional output of \frac and its literal version.

\documentclass{book}
\usepackage{etoolbox}

\newbool{UseForBlindVersion}
\setbool{UseForBlindVersion}{false}

\newcommand*{\EnableForBlindVersion}{%
\setbool{UseForBlindVersion}{true}
}%

\newcommand*{\DisableForBlindVersion}{%
\setbool{UseForBlindVersion}{false}
}%

\newcommand*{\readoutfrac}[2]{#1\; \textbf{over}\; #2}%


\let\LaTeXStandardFracCmd\frac%
\renewcommand{\frac}[2]{%
\ifboolexpr{bool{UseForBlindVersion}}{%
\readoutfrac{#1}{#2}%
}{%
\LaTeXStandardFracCmd{#1}{#2}%
}%
}%

\begin{document}
\DisableForBlindVersion%  Normal \frac
\[
 \frac{2}{6} =  \frac{1}{3}
\]
\EnableForBlindVersion%  Literal \frac

However, 
\[
 \frac{1}{4} \neq  \frac{1}{3},
\]

and on the other hand

\DisableForBlindVersion
\[
 \frac{1}{12} =   \frac{1}{3} - \frac{1}{4}
\]
\end{document}

EVEN ANOTHER VERSION WITH PARENTHESIS

I added a code which automatically adds parenthesis to the fraction (unless switched off by flag command or as an option to \frac command. The code does not analyze whether the parentheses is mathematically necessary or not!

\documentclass{book}
\usepackage{etoolbox}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{xkeyval}


% Some helper commands

\newrobustcmd{\ProvideBool}[2][true]{%
\providebool{#2}%
\setbool{#2}{#1}
\long\csgdef{Enable#2}{%
\booltrue{#2}%
}%
\long\csgdef{Disable#2}{%
\boolfalse{#2}%
}%
}%

\makeatletter
\newrobustcmd{\GenerateBooleanKey}[5][false]{%   This solution is from Joseph Wright, 
% https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/152012/generate-xkeyval-boolean-keys-on-the-fly
  \begingroup
  \edef\x{\endgroup
    \noexpand\define@boolkey{#2}{#3}[#1]{%
      \expandafter\noexpand\csname ifKV@#2@#3\endcsname%
        \noexpand #4% Do something if true
      \noexpand\else%
        \noexpand #5%   % Do something different if false
      \noexpand\fi%
    }% End of  \define@boolkey
  }% End of defintion of \x
  \x
}% End of \providecommand


\newrobustcmd{\GenerateEnableDisableBooleanKey}[3][false]{%
\ProvideBool{#3}%
\GenerateBooleanKey[#1]{#2}{#3}{%
\csname Enable#3\endcsname%
}{\csname Disable#3\endcsname}%
}%

\makeatother

\ProvideBool{ForBlindVersion}




\GenerateEnableDisableBooleanKey[false]{ReadOutExpressions}{AutomaticParentheses}

\GenerateEnableDisableBooleanKey[false]{ReadOutExpressions}{AutomaticNominatorParentheses}
\GenerateEnableDisableBooleanKey[false]{ReadOutExpressions}{AutomaticDenominatorParentheses}


\EnableForBlindVersion


\ifboolexpr{bool{ForBlindVersion}}{%
\presetkeys{ReadOutExpressions}{AutomaticNominatorParentheses=true,
                                AutomaticDenominatorParentheses=true,
                                AutomaticParentheses=true}{}%

}{
\presetkeys{ReadOutExpressions}{AutomaticNominatorParentheses=false,
                                AutomaticDenominatorParentheses=false,
                                AutomaticParentheses=false}{}%
}%

% Readout commands... (well, readout in the sense of read out by other software )
\newcommand*{\readoutfrac}[2]{#1\; \textbf{over}\; #2}%

\newcommand*{\readoutneq}{\;\textbf{is not equal to}\;}%



\let\LaTeXStandardFracCmd\frac%

\renewcommand{\frac}[3][]{%
\setkeys{ReadOutExpressions}{#1}
\ifboolexpr{bool{AutomaticParentheses}}{%
\ifboolexpr{not(bool{AutomaticDenominatorParentheses})}{%
\DisableAutomaticDenominatorParentheses}{\EnableAutomaticDenominatorParentheses}%
\ifboolexpr{not(bool{AutomaticNominatorParentheses})}{%
\DisableAutomaticNominatorParentheses}{\EnableAutomaticNominatorParentheses}%
}{%
}%
\ifboolexpr{bool{AutomaticNominatorParentheses}}{
\edef\Nominator{\left({#2}\right)}%
}{
\edef\Nominator{#2}%
}
\ifboolexpr{bool{AutomaticDenominatorParentheses}}{
\edef\Denominator{\left({#3}\right)}%
}{
\edef\Denominator{#3}%
}
%
\ifboolexpr{bool{ForBlindVersion}}{%
\readoutfrac{\Nominator}{\Denominator}%
}{%
\LaTeXStandardFracCmd{\Nominator}{\Denominator}%
}%
\DisableAutomaticParentheses%
}%




\let\LaTeXStandardNeqCmd\neq%
\renewcommand{\neq}{%
\ifboolexpr{bool{ForBlindVersion}}{%
\readoutneq%
}{%
\LaTeXStandardNeqCmd%
}%
}%





\begin{document}
\DisableForBlindVersion%
\[
 \frac{2}{6} =  \frac{1}{3}
\]
\EnableForBlindVersion%


However, 
\[
 \frac{1}{4} \neq  \frac{1}{3},
\]


\EnableForBlindVersion
However, 
\[
 \frac[AutomaticDenominatorParentheses=false]{1+x}{3} \neq  1 + \frac{x}{3},
\]


and on the other hand


\DisableForBlindVersion
\[
 \frac{1}{12} =   \frac{1}{3} - \frac{1}{4}
\]





\end{document}

I used some code from a former question of mine, which can be found here: Generate xkeyval boolean keys 'on the fly', the solution to that question came from J. Wright.

Note, this is just a proposal, not a finally working package idea -- I have no idea how a reading software will do as expected at all. Think of it as a playground, a sandbox...