FAQ: Scribe
Why Scribe?
Historically, people with a print disability could not read hard copy documents. As the digital age emerged, many documents were scanned so they could be distributed via the web.
Unfortunately, this often meant that the digital copy of the document was effectively a photograph of the original, remaining inaccessible to people with a print disability.
To make matters worse, many new documents were published in formats incompatible with access technology. Technology millions of print disabled people use to consume information.
Online documents contain important data print disabled individuals need today. And they need it in accessible formats they can use.
Until Scribe, no automated digital technology could accurately convert printable content into accessible document formats without human intervention.
Millions of print disabled people cannot access information at the same time as their non-disabled peers. Scribe helps eliminate this barrier to success.
Prior to Scribe and its Augmented Document Remediation (ADR) technology, remediation required an expensive and labor-intensive multi-step process.
First, a human would need to translate the document into a different format, while also adding tags and other formatting information required by access technologies.
Then, a human would need to manually edit the document.
Finally, the document would need to be tested, by a human of course, with access technology. This would ensure the material had been made accessible.
This process is expensive, costing between $15 and $20 per page.
And, thanks to Scribe and its ADR technology, no longer necessary in most cases.
There are millions of inaccessible documents online. There are also an incalculable amount of historical offline documents waiting to be digitized for online access.
Using a human centric remediation process for even a fraction of these will break budgets and blow schedules.
Many organizations are left wondering what to do with an entire library of documents, and how to make them available to print disabled persons.
Besides limiting access to a part of your user or customer base, ignoring the problem risks finding yourself in an expensive litigation battle. This likely will result in an outcome requiring you to remediate all of your online documents using this old method.
Scribe’s ADR processing provides accessible documents so quickly, in such high quality most may no longer need certified human document remediation.
Plus, they’re available to a print disabled person in just seconds, rather than days, weeks… or longer… all for pennies per page.
Scribe is continuously being updated by our team of software engineers, giving your print disabled consumers the highest quality documents available without human intervention.
With Scribe, 100% of your documents are available 100% of the time in an accessible document format to suit your print disabled consumer’s needs.
Find out if Scribe is for your organization, here. Or reach out to us via our contact page.
What is the unique gap Scribe fills in?
Not every single document requires human remediation for print individuals to get the information they need, when they need it…
So why should the higher priced and labor-intensive human remediation be the only solution?
There are millions of documents print disabled individuals need on a daily basis. Many today are still not created with accessibility in mind. Others were created in years past before accessibility was considered a right.
These are documents used on a daily basis: invoices, account summaries, financial statements, legal notices, property agreements… the list goes on.
Time and expense doesn’t warrant processing these documents with certified human document remediation. And, the print disabled person would otherwise be left with an inaccessible document.
Scribe fills the gap between inaccessible documents print disabled people use daily, and documents which otherwise would require certified human document remediation.
It is an industry fact, there aren’t near enough certified human document remediators to process the billions of inaccessible documents out there.
Using Scribe, you’re helping eliminate the extensive backlog of documents which actually require certified human document remediation. All while giving print disabled individuals almost instant access to needed information.
We understand, “some documents” require investing expensive time and labor into certified human document remediation.
For that, we also have a fiscally responsible solution.
With Scribe’s ADR technology providing a highly accessible starting point, our certified document remediation team will provide you certified human remediated documents for less than $10 per page…
An incredible savings compared to many other options.
Either way, Scribe makes document accessibility simple, less expensive, and fast.
What is Augmented Document Remediation?
Remediating documents to be accessible is a daunting task. The current volume of material, both current and past, is huge, and some are complex.
Fully automated procedures can scale printed or digital information into large volumes, but they fall short when applied to the most complex documents.
Human remediation gives the best results for complex formats, but it doesn’t scale.
How can an organization make a dent in its backlog of inaccessible documents while maintaining the necessary accuracy and quality?
Scribe’s Augmented Document Remediation technology combines the best of both approaches.
We start with a proprietary automated document processing pipeline, powered by a blend of cutting-edge machine learning and hand-crafted heuristics.
This unique combination takes most of the tedium out of document remediation. Often, this eliminates the need for human remediation… period.
When human remediation is necessary, specialists can focus on fine-tuning the output of the automated process, rather than covering the basics by hand for yet another document.
In short, Scribe’s Augmented Document Remediation combines scalable computing power and expert human judgment to achieve results that are greater than either approach could achieve alone.
Who is Pneuma Solutions, LLC?
Pneuma Solutions is the leader in cloud-based accessible solutions. We specialize in providing products and services which make information online accessible to individuals with print disabilities.
We build accessible cloud-based tools, with the goal of enhancing the lives of online users living with a disability.
Our tools help schools, municipalities, and businesses across the world deliver more accessible information to people with print disabilities.
The information is delivered in multiple formats, suiting the needs of print disabled individuals using multiple operating systems and platforms.
Pneuma Solutions was founded by entrepreneur, public speaker, and author, Mike Calvo.
In 2007, Mr. Calvo also founded and serves as director of the Accessibility is a Right Foundation. He authored the Amazon e-book, Cloudy with a Chance of Profit, a historical and predictive look at the affects cloud technology has and will have on world culture and global business.
In 2001, Calvo also founded and served as CEO of Serotek Corporation, an industry pioneer in cloud-based services for blind and vision impaired consumers.
Learn more about Pneuma Solutions here.
What organizations benefit from Scribe?
Any organization with a large public or private library of printable materials will find Scribe beneficial.
Typically, the beneficiaries of Scribe’s ADR technology, making documents accessible to print disabled individuals, are online information providers, newspapers, banks, consumer electronics manufacturers, legal firms, educational facilities, municipalities, public utilities, law enforcement, not-for-profit organizations, libraries, insurance companies, restaurants, and other firms large and small.
If you have a large amount of documents online and hope to make your information accessible to people with print disabilities, Scribe will be of great value to your organization.
How do I know Scribe is right for our organization?
Organizations which provide documents publicly on their web site are good candidates to take advantage of Scribe’s Augmented Document Remediation technology.
If your organization wishes to mitigate risk of litigation from excluding print disabled individuals from information you offer the public, you definitely could benefit from Scribe.
Scribe is available as a totally free trial. You can test it out real-time with all its features. There’s no obligation.
If you are interested, simply get in touch with us to arrange your free trial. We’ll be happy to give you an opportunity to learn how Scribe will benefit your organization.
You can find out more about Scribe here.
How much can Scribe save my organization?
It depends on how many documents you have online, how many you’ll provide in the future, and how many need remediation.
Of course, if you don’t offer documents in an accessible format, there’s a risk of litigation to consider.
Manual document remediation costs between $15 to $20 per page. Scribe can provide well formatted alternative documents for just pennies per page.
While we can’t give a specific number of dollars you will save, you can clearly see the huge savings between Scribe and manual document remediation.
With Scribe, you don’t waste valuable time uploading individual documents to get certified human document remediation quotes. The information is simply made accessible in seconds and if a human remediated version is needed, the user is provided the ability to request one in just a few clicks.
All it takes is clicking a link on your publicly facing platform. Set up your account and you can forget you’re even providing accessible documents in the background.
To help you decide, we do offer a fully functional trial. Simply click here to get your trial started.
Do you offer a trial?
Absolutely. We offer a full-featured trial for Scribe.
You can convert source files of your choice, then download any one of the many accessible formatted documents Scribe produces, just as you would with a paid account.
You can use our web interface to upload your source document to Scribe. Or, embed the custom HTML code (found in your settings panel on the Scribe interface) directly in to your website.
Your trial has no set time limit. We’re confident you’ll see the value of Scribe once you try it.
You can use the free Scribe trial for up to 100 pages of information after full registration. We can increase the number of pages upon request. However, because Scribe is so simple, in most cases the basic trial provides a suitable testbed.
If you are interested in a free trial, click here! Or call us at 305-720-3639.
What features are available with the trial?
Your free trial contains every feature Scribe offers.
You can input any file type Scribe accepts, and download one or all of the accessible document formats to see how well Scribe processes your documents.
We do limit the trial to 100 scans or pages.
Click here to give Scribe a try!
How long is the trial period?
We don’t limit your Scribe trial period to a specific number of days. You are free to use the full-featured version of Scribe until you’ve processed 100 pages of information.
An extension to the limit of pages will be considered upon a case-by-case basis.
This allows you to input a wide range of document types and formats into Scribe. You’ll see how well it produces accessible documents in the many file formats we support.
What happens when our trial time is over?
Scribe will let you know when you’ve reached your page limit. An e-mail notification will be sent to the administrator of the account informing them that the trial has ended.
After you’ve seen the budget-saving power of Scribe’s Augmented Document Remediation technology, we’ll be happy to convert your account from trial status to one of our active plans. Choose one of our three comprehensive options which suit your organization’s needs best.
Does Scribe produce fully remediated documents?
Scribe produces extremely accurate remediated documents using its unique Augmented Document Remediation technology.
For that reason, most documents don’t require certified human document remediation anymore.
Print disabled individuals can satisfy their need for information directly from the accessible documents Scribe produces, in seconds.
Scribe’s Augmented Document Remediation technology currently yields a 96% accuracy on average. Our developers continually expand its features and machine learning abilities.
Scribe allows print disabled individuals to get the information they need, when they need it.
If 99% certified human document remediation is the goal, we will be happy to work with your preferred remediation service. Or, you may choose to use one of our partners to achieve this goal for less than $10 per page.
Using a Scribe document as a certified human document remediation source file reduces cost and time spent to process your document.
We invite you to try Scribe free.
Why does the remediated .PDF look like the original but all the other formats look different visually?
Wait! What’s going on here? Why does my document look so different in Scribe than it did originally?
Every aspect of how Scribe displays your document is optimized for maximum accessibility and usability, for users with all types of print impairments. Scribe makes it easy for users to customize the font style, text size, and colors, and it ensures that the document will be laid out in a way that’s easy to read regardless of the user’s chosen font size.
However, Scribe’s PDF output is designed to preserve the original appearance of the document while still meeting accessibility requirements. The PDF output is not as easy to customize for low-vision users, but it is the best choice if you want to provide a single version of your document that is both accessible and identical in appearance to the original. If you find a case where Scribe’s PDF output differs from the original, then we consider that a bug and ask that you tell us about it.
What do you consider a print disability?
Pneuma Solutions defines print disability as someone who is legally or medically documented as unable to effectively read printed material due to, but not limited to, the following:
- A visual disability, listed as blind or visually impaired.
- A physical disability or injury unable to hold or manipulate printed material.
- A cognitive disability due to injury or developmental conditions.
- A learning disability which impedes comprehension of printed materials.
Individuals with a print disability require the use of adaptive or specialized equipment to read printed or digital material.
This includes individuals who are unable to consume printed or digital information without the use of desktop and mobile devices, screen readers, screen and text magnification software, Braille notetakers, Braille displays or printers, and a number of other audible, tactile, or digital technologies.
How do print disabled individuals read documents made accessible with Scribe?
People with print disabilities use a number of different technology solutions to consume digital information.
Scribe produces accessible documents compatible with desktop and mobile devices, screen readers, screen and text magnification software, Braille notetakers, Braille displays or printers, and a number of other audible, tactile, or digital technologies.
Scribe offers a wide array of accessible document choices, enabling print disabled individuals to consume information using those technologies.
How many types of accessible formats can Scribe create?
Scribe can currently convert your printable source file into eight different accessible formats in over 140 different languages:
- HTML
- Tagged PDF
- MP3 (via text-to-speech in about a dozen languages).
- DAISY (text plus audio)
- EPUB
- Microsoft Word DOCX
- Braille (Grade 1, Grade 2, and Unified English Braille)
- Large print
What types of printable source files can Scribe convert?
Scribe can convert a wide array of file types.
- HTML
- HTM
- DOC
- DOCX
- FTF
- XLS
- XLSX
- PPT
- PPTX
- ODT
- ODS
- ODP
- TXT
- TIF
- GIF
- JPG
- PNG
Why should I choose Scribe over a certified document remediation service?
Besides the fact that you are going to save a whole lot of money?
Not every single document requires human remediation for print individuals to get the information they need, when they need it…
So why should the higher priced and labor-intensive human remediation be the only solution?
It is an industry fact, there aren’t near enough certified human document remediators to process the billions of inaccessible documents out there.
When you use Scribe, you’re helping eliminate the extensive backlog of documents which actually require certified human document remediation. All while giving print disabled individuals almost instant access to needed information.
That’s said, there are documents which absolutely need full remediation performed. We are totally in support of it when it is necessary.
In fact, we are happy to team up with manual remediation services to provide them, when needed.
We also provide our own certified Human Remediation Service for under $10 per page. Feel free to ask for a quote.
However, because Scribe’s Augmented Document Remediation technology is so accurate, it does most of the heavy lifting you’d typically pay for with manual remediation.
The result is:
- Easily provide print disabled individuals with accessible versions of the documents they use daily or most frequently, without expensive manual remediation.
- End-users no longer have to wait days or weeks to access your information properly.
- Save your organization a considerable amount of budget dollars by eliminating expensive certified human document remediation or litigation costs.
- Certified human document remediation services are able to reduce backlogs, processing documents which truly require it.
- Print disabled individuals with legitimate remediation requests will wait far less time to get the information they need.
- When 100% remediation is necessary, Scribe helps manual processing by supplying the highest quality source document.
Everyone wins with Scribe.
What if we are requested to provide a fully remediated document?
Scribe’s Augmented Document Remediation technology has seen an average 96% accuracy, as reported by our users and internal testing. We are obsessively improving our ADR technology and will not rest until we reach 100% automated document remediation.
However, in the event certified human document remediation is necessary, we can provide it for under $10 per page. A significant budget savings when using Scribed documents as the source file.
Is Scribe a document remediation product?
Scribe is the only fully automated cloud-based remediation service on the market using Augmented Document Remediation technology.
Our automated processes are so accurate, expensive certified human document remediation simply isn’t needed in most cases.
Scribe’s Augmented Document Remediation technology has seen a 96% accuracy on average, as reported by our users and internal testing. We are continually improving our ADR technology until we reach 100% automated document remediation.
When certified human document remediation is necessary, we can provide it for under $10 per page. A significant budget savings when using Scribed documents as the source file.
How can we start using Scribe in our organization?
Getting started with Scribe is easy.
- Register here.
- Once your account is activated, you can upload individual documents from your computer or a URL to the Scribe We will also supply you with a few lines of HTML code you can actually embed in to your website for automation.
- Simply upload a file or drop the HTML into your site template, and you’re ready to go.
Is there a lot of setup to get Scribe up and running?
No. Unless you choose the On-Premises Scribe Server option, very little set up is needed.
Once your account is activated, it’s as simple as dropping a few lines of code into your site template. Conversions are performed remotely from our distributed cloud infrastructure, or for on premises installations, on your own local network.
Scribe converts source documents and conversions with the highest level of encryption end-to-end.
Once we set it, simply forget it. We take care of file conversions and presenting your consumer with an array of accessible options to download. And should they need a certified human remediated document, we will handle every step of the process from the user request to the delivery of the document within days not weeks or months. We keep you in the loop at every step of the way including detailed reports.
How soon after set up can we start using Scribe?
You can use Scribe immediately after getting your account set up, and code embedded in your CMS or website containing links to your printable content.
That’s it! You can now provide print disabled users with all your accessible documents right from your website, on demand.
Are there any on-going maintenance requirements on our end?
No. Unless you choose an on-premises option, all application updates and processing are securely done remotely from our distributed cloud infrastructure.
Everything happens securely off-site, without interruption to you, or your end-user.
If you choose the on-premises option, we will work with you to provide any needed updates through your maintenance plan.
Does Scribe come in just one option?
Scribe is available in three different options:
- Scribe Cloud Addition. Unlimited use of Scribeto dynamically convert your documents, on-demand, each time an end-user needs one.
- Scribe On-Premises Addition. This is a great option for organizations bound by HIPAA or other security practices. Scribewill work behind a firewall on your network using equipment we supply.
- Scribe Full Library Conversion. Full document processing on-site or cloud-based conversions for your entire library. With this option we’ll process every document in your library to each of our eight accessible document formats for one all-inclusive price. They’ll then be a part of your library and ready for distribution anytime.
We have a configurable solution to fit your system and make your information accessible to print disabled people 100% of the time, anytime.
The Scribe Cloud Addition option will work in most outward facing public situations. Our distributed cloud infrastructure is the easiest to implement and most cost effective. However, you may have requirements better suited to one of our other options.
You can contact us anytime. We’ll be happy to discuss which option best suits your needs.
Which Scribe option is best for our organization?
It all depends on your requirements. Scribe is available in three configurable options:
- Scribe Cloud Addition.
- Scribe On-Premises Addition.
- Scribe Full Library Conversion.
Your organization may have its own unique technical or privacy policy considerations. Below you’ll find a summary of the basic differences. You can always contact us for more information.
1. Scribe Cloud Addition
Our speediest dynamic conversion option. Files are converted on-demand remotely on our distributed cloud infrastructure and then provided to the user in the browser or via an email or text message link.
This option is suitable for most public website installations. It is our true “set it and forget it” option.
With Scribe Cloud Addition, once a few lines of simple code are added to your site, blog, or content management system, that’s it.
Scribe provides end-users with accessible documents in just seconds. All file transfers are encrypted with the highest end-to-end security available.
Scribe’s distributed cloud infrastructure is built for power and speed. It proves to be the most stable option, because our servers are dedicated and set up to specifically perform conversions.
2. Scribe On-Premises Addition
With the on-premises edition, Scribe provides you with the ability to dynamically convert documents on-demand as well.
But, instead of the Scribe Cloud Addition option, Scribe On-Premises Addition includes an initial package of 1,000,000 scribes with no expiration.
Additional scribe packages are available anytime.
3. Scribe Full Library Conversion
Scribe Full Library Conversion is an in-house content library conversion option only. There are no dynamic or on-demand Scribe conversions performed here.
You can either convert your content library using your own IT resources, or our Super Compute cloud infrastructure.
The difference between your on-site conversions and our Super Compute cloud infrastructure is conversion speed and cost.
With our Super Compute cloud infrastructure, conversions happen extremely fast.
We’re talking millions of conversions per week.
Convert your complete library of documents in days instead of months.
If you use your own on-site resources, speed is restricted to your network’s performance.
Either way, when you use Scribe On-Premises or Super Compute Cloud Additions to convert your library, you will get one complete copy of your source document converted to each of the accessible document formats we offer… all in one pass and one price.
You’ll have them locally stored for re-distribution anytime you need them.
Can you supply me with product datasheets?
Absolutely. Feel free to download and share any or all of the following datasheets:
Can Scribe be used in languages other than English?
Yes. Scribe is a global solution. It can convert documents written in over 140 different languages.
This includes producing audio files using human sounding text to speech in a dozen different languages and braille conversions in more than 30 formats.
Scribe is not a translation service. It does not translate your source document from one language to another language.
It will convert your source document within its own language, producing the same advanced level formatting no matter the language.
If you have questions whether your specific language is supported, you can get in touch with us anytime.
You also can try Scribe absolutely free. Since our trial is a fully functional trial, you’ll be able to see how Scribe handles documents written in your native language.
What if I have a document in multiple languages?
There are situations where you will need a multi-language document Scribed so all languages are processed in one document – Scribe can do that.
Scribe will not translate from one language to another. It will produce accessible documents according to the original languages in the source document.
Sometimes, you may need dual or multiple languages to parallel each other. Scribe can do that for you too.
Doesn’t Scribe use the same OCR processing as other document processing?
Scribe uses the most advanced, highest quality OCR tools available today.
It also incorporates additional graphic cleansing processes not likely available in your organization’s current workflow.
Scribe is the only digital document remediation tool of its kind on the market using our proprietary technology: Augmented Document Remediation (ADR).
ADR is specially designed to format your source document as it was originally meant to be read, in an accessible output.
Using machine learning algorithms, Scribe is always getting better. It improves over time without you having to worry about updates and additional configuration.
Properly formatted source files are readable using various technologies, specifically designed for print disabled individuals.
No other product can do what Scribe does, to the same level of quality, with as much speed, in a simplified user experience.
What platforms will Scribe work on?
Scribe can be used on any platform. The end-user only needs a web browser. It’s as simple as that.
Whether converting your source files on-site or remotely, Scribe is a multi-platform product. It will work on any HTML-based platform you use, including CMS, LMS, and internal intranets.
For more information on how we use API technology and other technical specifications, feel free to download our datasheets:
Don’t just print it… Scribe it!
Without getting too technical, traditional processes simply print to file as they try to optically recognize characters.
Our proprietary technology, Augmented Document Remediation (ADR), accurately lifts the text off the document and uses a special graphical cleansing process to make the content cleaner.
It performs OCR, and uses built-in machine learning to intelligently detect tagged and untagged elements.
Scribe can identify a header text above its accompanying content, even when it is not tagged or contains font attributes marking it as a header. It can do similar for lists, tables, and other formatting needs.
Scribe’s built in machine learning identifies the formatting by looking at the content. Once it has detected the exact use and format for the source document, it will Scribe the content to an accessible document, in a matter of seconds.
The entire process is completed without human intervention.
Plus, we’ve made it even faster by allowing content producers to create their own document profiles or templates.
If you produce invoices, statements, or any repetitive document structure… a document template can be created to perfectly format it every time, even faster.
How will documents be available to my end-users?
All your end-user will need is a web browser. When they click on the dynamic link we provide you to embed in your site, they will be presented with 8 different accessible formatted document options. They can choose the formats that will work best for the adaptive equipment they use every day.
Scribe produces accessible documents compatible with screen readers, screen and text magnification software, Braille displays or printers, and a number of other audible, tactile, or digital technologies.
Does Scribe handle multiple document types such as invoices, statements, reports, and account summaries?
Absolutely. Scribe is designed to handle just about any document type you care to process. We empower you with the ability to create document profiles to increase speed and accuracy… producing beautifully formatted documents every time!
For example, you may regularly produce specially formatted invoices using non-standard industry software.
Scribe allows you to create an invoice template specifically for your organization’s invoice format. When someone clicks on the Scribe link to receive an accessible copy of the invoice, it automatically is processed using the parameters within the invoice template.
Using a Scribe template, your users receive a beautifully formatted invoice every time!
How do profiles work?
Templates let you produce an identical accessible document format every time. It quickly analyzes and identifies a document based on its matching template.
Scribe won’t have to look at the document as intensely to determine the document formatting or type.
The document processing takes place using the profile’s parameters, making the process even faster.
How long does it take to Scribe a document?
When our cloud service is used, it takes just a few seconds for end-users to get the information they need on demand.
It’s just one click for them, and no additional effort for you.
If you are converting an entire library, of course that will take some time. But, using our Super Compute cloud infrastructure for dynamic conversions, Scribe can convert your entire library in an afternoon or perhaps a long weekend.
Scribe can easily convert thousands of documents in an afternoon or day using our Super Compute cloud infrastructure.
On premises installations may take longer using your own network resources, depending on the performance of your network.
Either way, when the end-user needs the document, it will be available to them in seconds with only a web browser.
How long would it take to get a fully remediated document if we needed one?
Since Scribe’s Augmented Document Remediation technology produces such high-quality results, most documents do not need certified human document remediation.
All documents are not equal in long-term value.
In some cases, however, a full remediation may be in order when dealing with documents that require 99% accuracy, such as legal documents or textbooks.
With Scribe’s ADR technology providing a highly accessible starting point, our certified document remediation team will process your documents quicker than the standard time allowance.
What is the difference between dynamic and static accessible documents?
Dynamic documents are converted on demand. Your source file resides on your network.
When an accessible document is called for by an end-user, it is dynamically converted from the source file each time.
Static documents are when your library has been converted and the entire array of formats reside on your network.
When your end-user calls for an accessible version of your document from your website, it is downloaded directly from your library.
Wouldn’t I want to pay for converting our library one-time and be done with Scribe?
It’s not recommended, because you will be creating new documents every day. They will need to be made available as well.
For new documents, you can either use our Scribe Cloud Addition plan, or the Scribe On-Premises Addition. Both provide dynamic accessible documents on-demand.
If HIPAA or other forms of “industry best practices” are your concern and need to be kept behind a firewall and on-site, you can purchase a package of scribes which do not expire.
Once Scribe has processed your source file, the accessible version of your document is kept on your local network and made available to the local -user on-demand.
What about security? Are documents safe to process on the cloud?
Security is something everyone is concerned with today. Pneuma Solutions uses the highest end-to-end encryption available. We also use VPN technology to provide secure document upload, processing, and returns to your platform.
We use the same security encryption many banks, medical institutions, and government organizations use.
You can rest easy knowing Scribe is securely processing and delivering documents.
Our organization complies with HIPAA and client privacy standards. Is there an option to provide this service in-house?
They’re sure is. Our Scribe On-Premises Addition or desktop option lets you restrict Scribe from public access and perform all Scribe conversions on your in-house network.
When an update is available, we’ll notify you. You can optionally leave Port 80 open. Or, open it when you want to receive the update and close it again.
Either way, we’ve made it possible for you to follow HIPAA and other privacy best practices.
You can do your conversions on-site, and still keep up with updates for the best technology available today, providing print disabled end-users or employees with information they can use.
For more information, feel free to download the Scribe datasheets:
Does Pneuma Solutions keep any source or alternative format documents processed by Scribe?
We do not keep any documents long-term or permanently. We do cache the encrypted version for 72-hours as part of our processing service.
If you would like the 72 hours increased or removed, simply choose that option in your setup screen located in your account settings.
Is Scribe only for blind and visually impaired people?
No. Scribe is designed to serve those with any type of print disability.
A print-disabled person is “a person who cannot effectively read print because of a visual, physical, perceptual, developmental, cognitive, or learning disability”.
Does Scribe help people with dyslexia?
Yes, Our DAISY, Epub, and audio formatted documents are helpful to those with Dyslexia.
The DAISY option allows people with Dyslexia to listen to the document being read, while following along visually in print.
The natural human sounding text-to-speech audio format is the basis for both DAISY and our standalone audio formats.
Does Pneuma Solutions have experience in print disabled products?
Pneuma Solutions, in name, is a new company. It’s Founder, Mike Calvo and an amazing team of veteran developers have a longstanding history creating products and services for print disabled people.
Serotek Corporation, a consumer-based company also founded by Calvo, has two decades of development experience helping individuals with a print disability.
You can find out more by going to our About Us page.
How much does Scribe cost?
It depends which option suits your organization’s needs.
Each of our three editions carry different features and associated pricing.
Some are based on a monthly or annual fee for unlimited scribes. Others allow for a limited amount of scribes which do not expire over time.
Some will Scribe your source document dynamically, others Scribe your entire library for a static collection of each of the various accessible document formats available.
Additionally, each of our three Scribe products are configurable to your needs.
We also provide pricing discounts for multiple domains and not-for-profit organizations.
Is there a discount for more than one domain?
We do offer a discount for multiple domains.
When you speak with a representative, please let them know how many domains you’d like considered. Your discount quote may depend on the number of domains you want included.
How are Scribe updates delivered?
If you use Scribe on our distributed cloud infrastructure, you’ll never worry about updates. We take care of everything.
If you choose an option where we supply you with Scribe’s conversion software, you can download it, or we can arrange to get it to you if you are firewalled as part of industry best practices.
Either way, we’ll make sure your maintenance plan allows you to get the latest advances and features Scribe offers.
We have more information in our downloadable Scribe datasheets:
Does Pneuma Solutions offer support?
Yes, we offer e-mail support to your team anytime.
But Scribe is designed to need very little support. When you choose our dynamic conversion options using our distributed cloud infrastructure, all maintenance is done completely on our end. The only thing residing on your network is a small snippet of HTML code.
We’ve designed Scribe to need very little support on your end.
We are happy to get you up and running with document profiling and any configuration settings you may need.
If you choose the Scribe On-Premises Addition, you will also have direct e-mail access to one of our developers for configuration and setup of your server.
So, what gives? Where does Scribe currently have some limitations?
Scribe’s Augmented document remediation processes inaccessible printable material into highly accurate and usable document formats.
However, since digital remediation uses machine learning to enable fast and economically responsible access to information, there are some limitations as our technology continues to learn and improve its abilities.
Below are the known limitations.
- Images without alternate tags.
- Scribe automatically adds descriptions to images without alternate text tags.
- Depending on the complexity of the image, the automatically generated description may be imperfect or generic.
- Multilingual documents.
- Scribe attempts to detect the language of each heading, paragraph, list item, table cell, or other text blocks in the document.
- The results of the language detection process may sometimes be incorrect, especially for very short blocks of text.
- If a single paragraph or other text block contains multiple languages, Scribe will not perform more fine-grained language detection at this time.
- Uncommon typographical conventions.
- Scribe will attempt to tag all of the document headings to make navigation more efficient with screen readers, Braille displays, or other assistive technology.
- Depending on how far the document’s formatting strays from common typographical conventions, digital remediation technology Can report heading text as a false positive, or perhaps miss a heading.
- Complex tables.
- Scribe tries to tag all document tables.
- Depending on the complexity of some page layouts, some tables could be missed being tagged, or report some non-tabular text sections as tables.
- Digital remediation may not correctly tag all aspects of complex tables.
- For example, it may not correctly detect which table cells are headers and which are data.
- It may not accurately detect which cells span multiple columns or rows.
- It may also combine multiple columns into one, particularly if the columns are narrow or close together.
- Running OCR on a scanned document.
- When Scribe needs to run optical character recognition on a scanned document, the results may be imperfect. The accuracy of Scribe’s OCR process is about 95% as of this writing.
- Visual format preservation.
- The purpose of Scribe is to convert material to alternate document formats, accessible to print disabled users, providing them with the information they need quickly. This process focuses more on access to the printable information sometimes sacrificing formatting accuracy in some cases.
- Because Scribe is designed to make material accessible to various adaptive equipment, it is recommended customers keep the original document version to preserve the original formatting.
- Scribe will not preserve the visual formatting and page layout of the original document perfectly.
- Unless the user chooses large print output, Scribe preserves font sizes. It also preserves colors, indentation, and text justification.
- It does not preserve finer details of page layout, such as margins, vertical spacing, headers and footers, or page breaks.
The advantage of Scribe’s digital remediation
Scribe is powered by machine learning technology. Besides its incredibly speedy processing capabilities, and economically responsible conversion model, it is designed to improve accuracy the more it is used.
If you experience the above situations, check back at a later time. You may be pleasantly surprised as it continues to learn.
Pneuma Solutions is committed to achieving 100% accurate digital document remediation. Until we reach our goal, we’ve made 100% certified human document remediation just one click away, when it is required.
We are committed to the goal of providing print disabled individuals 100% access to the information they need 100% of the time.
Does Scribe convert math, Nemeth Code, or music notation?
As you’ve read in this FAQ, Scribe is an extremely powerful and speedy digital document remediation tool.
However, one of the limitations of digital remediation technology at this point is the inability to accurately process mathematical equations, music scores, tablature notation, or any form of music notation in Braille or print.
The complexity of these formats, special characters, and inherent nature of their print make-up has not been built into OCR and machine learning technology at this point.
That doesn’t mean it won’t be available in the future.
For now, feel free to check with our certified human document remediation options to see if we can meet your specific needs.
We are a small website or not-for-profit organization, do you offer any special pricing?
Yes, we do offer discounts for small businesses or not-for-profit organizations.
Please call 305-720-3639 to arrange a time to consult with one of our team members to see how we can get you the best price for Scribe.
What if I have more questions?
Feel free to download a copy of the Scribe datasheets:
You can contact us here anytime or call us at 305-720-3639. We are happy to answer any questions you have regarding which option fits your need, pricing, or anything related to how Scribe can benefit your organization.
You can also find out more here.