Member Detail: Center for Applied Special Technology

CAST is a non-profit research and development organization that explores technologies to improve educational opportunities for all people, including those with disabilities.

CAST is exploring ways to incorporate Digital Talking Book (DTB) technologies into several initiatives, including two - a digital repository and a supported reading tool - in 2002. The first of these, the Universal Learning Center (ULC), is a service of CAST that offers access to digital curricular materials for students with learning, sensory and physical disabilities. As the ULC's infrastructure is further developed, its XML-based repository will be able to store documents that are compliant with the DAISY/NISO specifications, thus allowing users to log into the system and download DTB materials.

The second initiative, the CAST eReader(TM), is a software tool designed to support learners of all ages who may lack the skills necessary for independent reading. The current software can take electronic text content from any source and read it using synthesized speech and synchronized visual highlighting; many learners use it as a talking browser for reading Web pages. Future versions of this reading product will support the DTB specifications, enabling users to receive both synthetic and human speech support for the same document.