Reading Project: Ensuring Web Accessibility Using Natural Language Processing Techniques
In an effort to make the internet a more accessible place for every user, the GitHub project 'Reading' serves as a tangible effort towards this noble cause. Created and maintained by Amila Welihinda, this open-source project focuses on tackling the issue of digital accessibility, primarily aimed at making online content more readable and accessible, especially for people with dyslexia and similar difficulties.
Project Overview:
The Reading project aims to address the crucial issue of web accessibility. The goal of the project is to make written content on the web more accessible for people who have challenges regarding readability, such as people struggling with the common language-processing disorder –- dyslexia. Reading is designed for users who face obstacles while reading online content, helping them navigate the internet with ease.
Project Features:
The notable feature of the Reading project include its ability to transform standard HTML/web content into a more digestible and readable format. By utilizing natural language processing techniques, it converts complex sentences into simpler versions, making it easier for people with language processing difficulties to understand the content. An illustrative use case could be a dyslexic reader trying to understand a blog post or an academic article; the Reading project tool would simplify the sentences allowing the reader to comprehend the content better.
Technology Stack:
The Reading project leverages JavaScript as its main programming language. Given its flexibility and wide usage, JavaScript is an appropriate choice for web-related accessibility improvements. Moreover, the Reading project benefits significantly from Jest, a delightful JavaScript Testing Framework with a focus on simplicity, for automating test cases and ensuring the healthiness of the conducted transformations. Actors such as Sentence, Punctuation, Capitals, and more come together with Jest to make this a reality.
Project Structure and Architecture:
The project structure of Reading is divided into various components, each addressing different aspects of language processing. Components involve various NLP actors focusing on sentence structuring, punctuation, proper capital usage, etc., which work together to simplify text. The modular architecture allows us to notice the interplay of these actors, resulting in a more refined and readable output.
