Hybrid Approach to Sonification of Color Images

This paper deals with the accessibility of graphics for visually impaired people. It presents a novel method of sonification of complex graphical objects, such as color photographs, based on a hybrid approach combining sound and speech communication. This approach is supported by a special color model, called semantic color model, which is introduced in the paper. The semantic color model possesses suitable properties that can be used to deliver the relevant graphical information in sound or speech in a convenient form. The integration of this approach with the annotated SVG format developed within the ongoing GATE project, which is also briefly described in the paper, enhances the efficiency of the system.