News Archive

We are very pleased to announce that an update of Sigtuna DAR 3, version 3.0.20 is now available for download from the DAISY Web site in the Download area. You will be asked to log in (your member login and password are required).

Sigtuna DAR 3 version 3.0.20 contains the following changes and fixes:

1. "When creating a project, NCC is not correctly updated to support DAISY 2.02." This problem has been fixed.
2. "When exporting a project, some associated files are not copied to the export directory." This problem has been fixed.
3. "When creating a ToC only project, the number of the ncc:maxPageNormal always remained as "0.". This problem has been fixed.
4. "The character set cannot be changed in the "Modify NCC's metadata" dialog." This problem has been fixed.
5. Other smaller bug fixes have also been made in this release.

The following remains as a known issue:

Due to some limitations on the Windows API and its file systems, Sigtuna DAR 3 supports wav files up to a size of 2 GB. Therefore, if the recording is set for 22050 Hz mono, the chapter (ncc heading) playback length is limited to approximately 13.5 hours.

Sigtuna DAR 3 is generously made available by JSRPD at no charge to DAISY Consortium Members. Special thanks go to JSRPD for its generosity and support, and to Hiroshi Kawamura, Miki Azuma and Misako Nomura for their continued efforts and diligence in the development of this DAISY production software tool. The efforts of all who have been involved have contributed to DAISY implementation in the world, particularly in developing countries. JSRPD has the right to distribute Sigtuna DAR 3 after the completion of the period of the agreement with the developer, with no further agreement being required.

Note that copies of Sigtuna DAR 3 must be registered. If you already have a registration number, you will be able to install the software with your current registration information. DAISY member organizations which do not have a registration number but would like to install and use Sigtuna DAR 3, may contact JSRPD at daisy_c@dinf.ne.jp. You will be provided with a registration number and required information. You may download and install the software without a registration number, however, if it is used without being registered, you will be able to record only 10 minutes of audio, after which neither recording nor editing will be possible.

If you have any questions or problems regarding the download of the software, please contact Lynn Leith directly at lynn.leith@cnib.ca.

Over a year ago, IRTI released the eClipseReader software for reading and studying DAISY books on a PC. It has been extremely well received by schools and individuals alike. The multi-user features really enhance its usefulness in schools.

Some exciting features have been added to eClipseReader version 2.0. eClipseReader now reads any ASCII text with its new built-in screen reader and conveniently turn text notes into topical outlines.

Many common file formats can easily be converted and saved to a text format using popular word processors. Then read and study them with eClipseReader. These formats would include emails, Web pages, HTML files, XML files, Word documents and much more. Powerful new study tools have also been incorporated.

Here are the new enhancements in eClipseReader 2.0.

New Text Reading and note taking: Open any ASCII text document and review it with eClipseReader built-in Screen Reader. Navigate Text via Hot-key or on-screen graphic control buttons. Navigate by Word, Line, Paragraph and Screen.

Text Search: Search a text document for a Word or Phrase.

Spell Word feature: Spell any word using hot-key or graphic button.

Where am I feature: Gives your reading position in a text document by announcing current line number out of the total number of lines.

Add any Text Document Title to the Books Library: Just as with Daisy books, text documents may be added to your library list. Text Documents are automatically added after entering a Bookmark. Library entries are displayed by title of book or document and linked to the locations of books and text documents on your local hard drive or mapped network drive.

Automatic Bookmark: eClipseReader automatically recalls your last reading position each time you open a DAISY book or text document.

Bookmarks and Text Notes: You can set multiple bookmarks in a text document just as in Daisy talking books. The bookmarks are automatically labeled by number or give them your own title. Each bookmark may also contain your personalized text notes.

Automatic Outline feature: With the simple press of a button, your bookmarks and text notes can now be reviewed anytime with eClipseReader''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s built-in screen reader. eClipseReader will automatically convert your bookmarks and text notes into a text document presented in outline form. The outline includes the bookmark number or title and your text notes associated with each one. We already have teachers planning to use this feature for student test taking. In this case, the test would be the text document and the student will easily be able to enter answers as text notes. Just the notes may be exported or printed for review by the teacher.

Export Bookmarks and Text Notes to Note Pad: With a single hot-key or press of a button you can automatically export your bookmarks and notes to MS Note Pad. Then save it, print it, or edit it with your favorite word processor or Braille translator. This is a great way to start an outline for a book report or term paper. Or use it to collect all your notes to study for an exam.

These new eClipseReader note taking tools really improves the efficiency of studying Daisy Books and text documents and promotes good study skills. eClipseReader''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s structured approach to note taking will help you be a better-organized student or professional.

eClipseReader 2.0-Plus includes a NeoSpeech License for VoiceText Kate and Paul US English SAPI 5.1. These voice are a major enhancement to the new note taking and text reading features of eClipseReader V2. Because the voices are SAPI 5.1 they can be used by other applications on the computer that support SAPI 5.1 such as JAWS.

Source: IRTI NewsClips The newsletter of Innovative Rehabilitation Technology Inc., May 2004, Volume 3, Number 2

Contact by email: info@irti.net

For immediate release
Contact: Morgan Roth, Vice President, Public Affairs
(609) 520-8095 or (609) 240-1097

New design offers improved accessibility and online ordering

Princeton, NJ (June 30, 2004) Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D?) will launch its newly designed website at www.rfbd.org on July 1, offering members a dynamic, interactive and more accessible tool for ordering books and products online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The new web- based ordering system is expected to facilitate and expedite search and ordering processes for students, parents and educators seeking books during the peak ordering times at the beginning of the school year.

Visitors will notice improved search options to easily locate a textbook on CD or cassette from RFB&D's CV Starr Learning Through Listening? Library of more than 98,000 titles. Revitalization of www.rfbd.org also offers more user- friendly navigation for people interested in supporting RFB&D's national programs or any of the organization's 28 recording studios around the country through secure online donations.

The current look, content and technical underpinning of www.rfbd.org is the result of consultation with focus groups made up of RFB&D members, parents, educators and other site users. "Our challenge was to implement best practices for web and e-commerce architecture and still have design and navigation functions that are user-friendly and entirely accessible to screen readers and other adaptive equipment," explained Morgan Roth, vice president for public affairs. "In the end, we were able to create a site that is attractive, informative, effective as a marketing tool, and at the same time, accessible and intuitive."

RFB&D is the nation's first and largest nonprofit organization to provide recorded textbooks on CD and four-track cassette to students in kindergarten through graduate school with disabilities such as visual impairment, severe dyslexia or another physical disability that makes reading challenging or impossible. RFB&D serves 127,000 students nationwide. RFB&D has nearly 5,000 highly trained volunteers who read and produce the organization's unique collection of titles which are housed at RFB&D's master library in Princeton, NJ.

At the end of the 2003 financial year, the number of people RFB&D served annually, increased by eight percent. "As demand for RFB&D services continues to grow, so too do requests for more access to our services beyond traditional work hours; technology allows us to do that effectively and efficiently," said Peter Beran, senior vice president for information technology. "Our members want the ability to look for and order books at their convenience, and to be able to access personalized account and ordering information when it suits them, whether that's during standard business hours, overnight or over a weekend."

In addition to providing online service and transaction opportunities, the expansion of RFB&D's web presence supports the organization's nationwide efforts to expand awareness of RFB&D and the effectiveness of its services. "RFB&D's web presence is potentially the most immediate and viable means for us to communicate our effectiveness as an accommodation for students with print disabilities," explained George Taber, a member of RFB&D's national board of directors and chairman of its communications advisory committee. "We developed www.rfbd.org to make sure that, architecturally and graphically, we provide a consistent and accurate portrayal of the value of RFB&D's work."

In addition to the public website, RFB&D also launched its intranet to facilitate internal communications among RFB&D staff and volunteers at its Princeton, NJ, headquarters and at its recording facilities nationwide.

In the interest of extending the companies' longstanding relationship throughout the European market into the United States, Dolphin Computer Access Inc., has teamed up with Optelec, the North American division of the Tieman Group, to offer blind and visually impaired computer users fantastic deals on the Voyager series of Braille displays.

From June 1 through September 30, 2004, Optelec is offering either the Braille Voyager 44 or 70 cell, Braille display complete with Dolphin's Supernova reader magnifier for the one-off price of $4,995 for the 44 cell model and $9,295 for the 70 cell model, saving customers over 15% off each product's list prices. The package combines the industry's most innovative Braille display with the world's only combined screen reader and magnifier, in a single package. Magnification, speech or Braille-or all three? This package gives the PC user endless choices; so whatever the visual condition, this winning combination is all one needs to effectively integrate screenreading access and PC usage in educational settings, the workplace, or from the comfort of one's home.

"The best hardware device requires the best software partner, and Optelec's found such a partner in Dolphin Computer Access", stated Larry Lewis, Optelec's Vice President of Blindness Sales. "The Voyager series with Supernova Version 6 is the perfect combination for all market segments. We wanted to create a stellar package that would be robust, stable, reliable and useful-offering incomparable functionality and the best financial deal for the customer. Supernova is the only software that allows users to select between a screen reader, a screen magnifier and Braille output in a single installation. Supernova 6.0 gives to those of us who are blind a superior alternative to any other screenreader currently on the market, but with the bonus of magnification for those who need it. This software combined with our Voyager Braille display means that blind computer users now have more intuitive options for accessing and controlling their PCs through a Braille display with industry standard Windows functionality effortlessly and efficiently."

Dan Moore, Vice President of Sales for Dolphin, said, "This is an excellent opportunity for both our organizations to make a real difference to the lives of blind computer users by providing a high quality, complete package at a great price. The beauty of Supernova is that it can be networked or run from a server and is the only combined screen reader and magnifier that comes with support for Windows terminal server and Citrix Metaframe environments, ideal for students who must use a campus-wide network or employees who must interact with a company network. This is a great deal for blind and visually impaired computer users, saving them nearly $1400 compared to purchasing the products individually and offers a perfect solution, whatever your level of sight."

For further information about this limited offer please visit the Optelec website at the link below or telephone Optelec at (800) 828-1056 or email customerservice@optelec.com. Alternatively contact Dolphin Computer Access Inc, at (866) 797-5921 or email info@dolphinusa.com

On 10 May 2004, RNIB passed the one million mark for the distribution of DAISY talking books. Dispatching an average of 5000 DAISY talking books a day, RNIB is now providing a service to approximately 25,000 people in the UK.

For more information, contact pete.osborne@rnib.org.uk.

Information for this article was quoted from a briefing, dated April 1, 2004, generously shared by Steve Tyler of RNIB. This article was developed from excerpts from that briefing.

Stockton on Tees is part of a consortium of local authorities that is working towards making transportation systems and services more accessible in a broad way. The group is looking at ways in which they can:

• Link databases together to enable seamless delivery of timetabling and travel information;
• Ensure data is delivered to a unified and agreed standard;
• Ensure that data is delivered in various convenient ways to consumers phone, web, and at the point of use;
• Link data from various different systems so that usable information at the point of use is possible such as real time progress of buses and trains, linked info to enable passengers to plan a journey through various transport networks (trains, buses, metro).

Although the consortium is working on a 2-year project to find solutions to these issues, there is a wider project co-ordinated by the "real-time network" - a Government sponsored agency - which is working to implement these findings.

Stockton has asked RNIB to support them in finding accessible solutions to transport needs, and the real-time network has contacted us to engage us in the longer-term project.

The Stockton Project

Stockton has consulted a variety of groups of Visually Impaired users in the area to establish what is currently missing and what might help in enabling them to travel independently. . . . Over the next year, Stockton intends to:

• Supply mobile phones to people that want them that are accessible allowing any texting services to be delivered to users as well as enabling them to call call centres for information;
• Deliver DAISY-based non real time information to users such as timetabling info to allow planning of routes;
• Deliver the wherewithal to users to use these systems;
• To work with RNIB on the wider project as it develops including the web based delivery of info, phone access to info, etc.

The first and immediate steps that we are carrying out with Stockton are:

• Training in the use of dAISY players;
• Development of a dAISY-based timetable structure;
• Training in the use of the mobile phones that are currently available including the 9210 and ALVA MPO.

After the training and demonstration sessions and over the coming few weeks, the council wants users to pick from a range of dAISY players and mobile phones it wants users to be in control of the way they access the services through the various means available.

To read a press release from others involved with this project, please visit: http://www.stockton.gov.uk/pressoffice/localnews/year2004/january/Mobilephonesforblind.

What follows is the beginning of the press release from VisuAide.

LONGUEUIL, Quebec, April 8, 2004 - VisuAide Inc. announced yesterday a $13.1-million research and development project towards the development of innovative digital devices for persons with visual disabilities. VisuAide Inc. is undertaking the project, through the involvement of Technologies Partnerships Canada with an investment of $3.9-million and Canada Economic Development with $800,000, to further the adoption of affordable technology for the blind and visually impaired. VisuAide is the world leader in the development of technology products such as digital audio book readers and GPS-based orientation systems to help the blind and visually impaired to become more autonomous and better integrated within society.

Nicolas Lagac? from VisuAide provided additional information about how this investment will impact DAISY development:

Among its development projects, VisuAide plans to enhance its DAISY players line with the addition of a WINdows CE version of the Victor Reader Soft playback software and the addition of recording capabilities to one of its portable players, the Victor Reader Classic +.

To read the remainder of the press release, please visit: http://www.visuaide.com/news_tpc.html.

Devis is a small business which works primarily on US Government federal contracts (though not exclusively). We built, for the Department of Labor, DisabilityInfo.gov, a portal for disabilities information in the government. The company has also built a fully accessible content management system named devis EZ Reusable Objects (EZRO, http://ezro.devis.com) which is the base for many of the systems it develops. Devis has a working prototype of a DAISY-Over-The-Telephone system which allows DAISY content to be read over the telephone using the telephone as the navigational keypad. This system also supports Voice over IP (VOIP) access. For more information, see http://www.devis.com.

"Design Science develops software used by scientists, educators and publishing professionals, including MathType, Equation Editor in Microsoft Office, WebEQ, MathPlayer, TeXaide and MathFlow, to communicate on the Web and in print. To learn more about Design Science, visit www.dessci.com.

We were pleased to meet a representative from devis at the DAISY conference in 2003 in Amsterdam, and DAISY staff who attended CSUN in March of 2004 saw an exciting presentation by a representative from Design Science. We look forward to continuing to work with these two companies as they support innovative approaches to presenting DAISY content.

It is a privilege to invite Full Members and Associate Members to the annual General Meeting in the DAISY Consortium. This time we meet Friday the 7th of May 2004 in Zurich, Switzerland. It is also a pleasure to invite Members and Friends to participate in two special programmes, this year not as ambitious and extensive as last year's big DAISY conference, but simple and informative. All presentations from the special programmes will be available at the DAISY Web site; www.daisy.org. With joining activities, the programme will be as follows:

Friday the 7th of May 2004, 09.00 – 12.00: General Meeting for Full Members and Associate Members

Friday the 7th of May 2004, 14.00 – 18.00: Special programme for all (programme will follow)

Saturday the 8th of May 2004, 09.00 – 16.00: Day at the SBS for all (programme will follow)

Deadlines

For the formal part please observe the following deadlines:

• Resolutions from members: Friday the 16th of April 2004, in writing to president@daisy.org
• First distribution of documents: Friday the 16th of April 2004, by email from president@daisy.org
• Last distribution of documents: Friday the 23rd of April 2004, by email from president@daisy.org

For the practical arrangements please observe the following deadlines (see reg. form distributed by email for details):

• Book your hotel rooms no later than: Monday the 5th of April at atlantishotel@arabellasheraton.com
• Send in registration form no later than: Monday the 5th of April to Beatrice.marty@sbszh.ch
• Register for lunches and dinners and for the programmes with the registration form.

Special programme for all members and friends

This year the General Meeting is followed by two events; a special programme on the afternoon of the 7th, organised by the Consortium, and a visit to the Swiss Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired, hosted by SBS. Both events are open to all members and friends of DAISY and programmes are as follows. Please observe that changes may occur.

>Programme for May 7th 2004, 14.00 – 18.00 at Atlantis Sheraton

The afternoon of the 7th is a mosaic of information presented by Board members and staff of DAISY, which will provide an overview of the current situation in the fields of interest around DAISY; players, production tools and training – and a brand new example of an institution that has gone completely digital – all on the route to DAISY 3.

• 14.00 – 14.45 Where are we, on the road map to DAISY 3?
• 14.45 – 15.30 Status on current production tools ? an overview (including plans for training)
• 15.30 – 15.45 Coffee Break
• 15.45 – 16.30 Status on current playback options – a "catalogue" for products
• 16.30 – 17.30 "Going digital" in the Netherlands – presentation and questions
• 17.30 – 18.00 Questions and clarifications

Programme for May 8th 2004, at SBS

We will have the opportunity to visit the Swiss Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired, SBS, and to be introduced to their experience with digital audio production, with synthetic speech and music production, not to mention the opportunity to visit their brand new facilities in Z?rich. The day is hosted by the Swiss Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

• 08.30 Departure from the hotel (Atlantis Sheraton) to the SBS
• 09.00-09.30 Short presentation of the SBS and introduction to the program of the day.
• 09.30-10.15 Music Score Production at the SBS
• 10.30-12.00 Tour of the new facilities of the SBS
• 12.15-14.00 Lunch at the SBS
14.15-15.00 Synthetic Speech Research in Zurich
• 15.00-16.00 Visions for the future of the DAISY Consortium
• 16.00 End of the program
• 16.00-16.45 Aperitif
• 17.00 Departure from the SBS to the hotel (Atlantis Sheraton)

Programme for the General Meeting

Full Members and Associate Members are invited to attend the General Meeting. It will take place at: The Arabella Sheraton Atlantis Hotel, Zurich. The programme will follow the formal agenda:

1. Welcome
2. Attendance
3. Confirmations
4. Minutes of Previous General Meeting
5. Financial matters 2003
6. Annual report
7. Discharge of the Board for the year 2003
8. Members and Friends
9. Confirmation of members of the Board
10. Planning for the future
11. Finance and budget
12. DAISY for all
13. Location of the next General Meeting
14. Closing

Papers

Papers for the meeting will be distributed to Full Members and Associate Members, through the Members list.

Questions

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Secretary General George Kerscher on kerscher@montana.com , Local organiser at SBS Beatrice Marty on Beatrice.marty@sbszh.ch or Executive Administrator Lisbeth Trinskj?r on lmt@dbb.dk.

We look forward to welcoming you all to Zurich.

Mr. Bernhard Heinser, SBS.

Ms. Elsebeth Tank, DBB, Host of the General Meeting President of the DAISY Consortium

Indiana University Partners with Bookshare.org to Expand Access to College Textbooks

On March 12, 2004, Bookshare.org announced that Indiana University, one of the nation''s leading alternative text production facilities serving students with disabilities, has partnered with Bookshare.org, the leading online library serving individuals with reading-related disabilities, to make college textbooks available to students with disabilities nationwide.

Under the terms of the partnership, Indiana University will contribute all textbooks scanned in its production facility to the growing Bookshare.org library, the largest contribution of education-specific materials to Bookshare.org to date.

For those who qualify in the United States and are interested, read more about this partnership by visiting http://www.bookshare.org/web/PressReleaseD.html.

Bookshare.org Launches Institutional Access

Bookshare.org now offers Institutional Access, allowing schools and groups to provide accessible digital books directly to students or other individuals they serve who have disabilities. The new Institutional Access option enables a school or group''s staff to purchase a pre-set number of books to be downloaded as needed by staff on behalf of qualifying students. Institutional Access is ideal for schools favoring staff control over book downloads, as well as schools with younger students or students who may not have individual access to the Internet.

Schools in the United States that are interested may read more of this press release by visiting http://www.bookshare.org/web/PressReleaseE.html.

From the 1st of January 2004, FNB has launched a full scale DAISY book service in the Netherlands. The service includes leisure books, periodicals, educational materials and talking music scores. From January on, no talking materials on cassette are being distributed. By this remarkable feat, FNB becomes the first talking book provider in the world to shift all of the talking services to DAISY.

Serving some 25,000 customers, FNB uses an on-demand lending service, that is prompted in many cases by the return of the read books. All CDs are personalized by name and address of the customer. A barcode uniquely identifies title and reader, and through a scanning process of the returned books, the system is prompted to burn and send a new title to the customer. A wish list with customers'' demands is kept in the central distribution server. Updates of these lists and direct title requests from customers are being handled through our customer services located at five call centres in the Netherlands. These call centres have access to a newly created database system that stores all the available DAISY (and braille) titles and all personal data that are required to make a successful loan. In this way, updates of wish lists and direct requests are handled and being sent several times a day to the central distribution server located in Grave. Mid February customers will be able to get access to the database on the internet. Those who can manage will then be able to browse the on-line catalog and make an order for a title without any human intervention from the library. An order being made before 11:00 AM will result in a copying process that same day. In most cases this means that customers will get their ordered DAISY CD the next day (unless of course they order on a weekend).

Newspaper and magazines are being send out according to subscriptions. Four hundred different talking periodicals are sent serving around 17,000 customers.

Around 20,000 customers are now in possession of a DAISY book player. Through social and health services, the cost for the player is refundable. A national network of volunteers helps people to get acquainted with the player. Many requests for this at-home service are being met. FNBs telephone help desk service has been expanded with one employee to handle growing DAISY questions. A temporary toll free call centre is provided by the ministry to help answer questions relating to the reimbursement of the DAISY book players. During the preceding year they provided at three specific points in time a talking newsletter (on cassette!) alerting our customers to the coming changes. FNB announced the change many times in her own communiqu?s, and in the last two months of 2003 each talking newspaper or magazine contained a little spoken reminder and encouragement to get a DAISY book player.

Last year, in less than eight months'' time, around 30.000 titles have been successfully converted to DAISY 2.02 format. Using 16x copying speed and many analog to digital workstations, the conversion happened in two steps. First a digital MP3 file is created from the tapes. Then an editing process tweaked the cassette announcements after which the DAISY book could be built. Before entering the database of the distribution server each title is automatically validated, using the DAISY Consortium''s validator. This helped enormously to get a grip on the quality of the stored DAISY books and the assurance that we are sending out true DAISY titles.

In the first half of 2004, a remaining 22,000 titles will be transferred to a digital archive (MP3). These are on the whole older titles that are less in demand. Working on customer demands, a system will be created to convert requested titles from the MP3 archive to the DAISY book distribution server. In this way, several thousands of titles will be added to the already-existing collection of 30,000. (how many depends on customers request for these older titles).

Of course newly created DAISY titles are being made every day in more than 40 studios throughout the country. There is capacity to create yearly 1,800 new leisure books and 1,200 educational titles. Also 400 newspapers and magazines are produced in DAISY, yearly, amounting to 9,045 unique editions with an average playtime of 80 minutes.

In the first three weeks, around 80,000 CDs have been sent out. When the service is complete and running full bloom, a daily capacity of 7000 CD will be reached. If necessary, a reserve capacity can be created after office hours of around 4,800 CDs. We estimate to send out 1.2 million CDs on a yearly base. All this is accomplished through the use of six burning stations, each with eight burners and one printer. There is no manually intervention to shift the CD from burning shelf to print shelf. Six robotic arms take care of that quite neatly. The whole operation takes place in a small-sized room of around 30 square meters.

Sending takes place in a specially designed yellow box with a spare opening in the front lid. Through this opening the address is readable. The CD is fixed in the carrier and cannot rotate. People use the same box to send CDs back. All they need to do is to flip a little lid inside that will cover the opening and that carries FNB''s return address. When returned they need to be opened, the CD needs to be scanned back-home. Boxes are re-used, CDs are destroyed (environmentally safe). No copies are being stored on the shelves.

After many years of preparing and working diligently together with the DAISY Consortium, FNB is proud to be able to present the DAISY service on such a wide scale to so many people.

For more information, see www.fnb.nl.

Touch Graphics has begun work on a new product that will allow teachers and others to make their own interactive audio-tactile materials. With this Authoring System, non-experts will create raised line and textured pictures on specially prepared templates, and then "attach" audio recordings to parts of the pictures. Students will then press on various parts to hear these sound tags played back. By this means, it will become practical to prepare lessons that refer to maps, diagrams and other graphic imagery. The software and drawing templates will be designed to be used in conjunction with the Talking Tactile Tablet, a new high-resolution, reasonably priced computer input device that is about to be introduced by American Thermoform Corporation (http://www.atcbrleqp.com).

The Level 2 Authoring System will include features that will allow teachers to easily develop rich audio-tactile materials. For example, the software will make it easy to add multiple layers of information to individual parts of a drawing; the student will access these layers by maintaining finger pressure on a single part of the drawing while the recorded layers are played back. In addition, as the author works on the drawing, the system will automatically build an index of all of the audio tags created; the student will be able to choose to listen to a listing of everything shown on a drawing sheet, and then to request that an "audio coach" guide his or her finger to one or another of these tagged regions or shapes.

In some cases, teachers may want to provide more general discussion to support or explain a graphic; for these occasions, special features will be provided to permit this material to be recorded or entered as text, in a hierarchical fashion, based on the emerging DAISY standards for the presentation of digital audio information. Students will be able to control the playback of this material, either via speech synthesis or as digitized human speech, using the familiar four arrow control interface used with many DAISY-compliant readers.

The project is being carried out in collaboration with a group of five teachers of blind and low vision students from different regions of the US. Funding for R&D is provided by the National Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research, US Department of Education. The finished product will be available for purchase in 2005.

Touch Graphics Company
New York, NY USA
Contact: Steven Landau
+1 646-515-3492
sl@touchgraphics.com
www.touchgraphics.com or www.ttt-at.com.

Carol Crookes and David Gordon presented the DAISY training course. They both work for RNIB''s Divisional Training department and have presented six similar internal sessions throughout the United Kingdom. These have included:

• Ivybridge (South West England) March 2002
• Glasgow (Scotland) May 2002
• Peterborough (Central England) June/July 2002
• Tarporley (North West England) August 2002
• London December 2002
• Leeds (North East England) February 2003

The course in Wales was for three members of RNIB Cymru staff who had only low to minimal experience of the DAISY format. The training concentrated on the production of type 2 (audio with structure) DAISY titles in the Welsh language.

All three trainees were taken through the stages needed for production of valid DAISY 2.02 titles to be delivered on CD.

The stages of training included:

• Preparing valid xhtml source documents using Welsh language and characters
• Using the Lp Studio Pro production tool to record, edit and build DAISY titles
• Using the DAISY 2.02 Validator to check and correct any errors in the DAISY title
• Creating the finished DAISY CDs.

Methods of archiving and file management were also covered.

To consolidate their learning at the end of the course, the trainees were tasked with creating a short Welsh DAISY title on CD. This gave each trainee the chance to tryout all of the stages of DAISY production.