Many organizations are interested in graphics in DAISY publications. The DAISY Board has received and approved the formation of a new working group surrounding Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG). From the charter summary we have:
Although the current DAISY standard allows for the possibility of including a variety of image types with DAISY content, this feature has, as yet, remained under used. This is likely due to the lack of specific recommendations regarding graphical content in the DAISY standard. The value of images, charts and graphs in textbooks and other printed materials is beyond question, therefore, it is vital to identify an accepted mechanism for inclusion of such content into DAISY materials. Given the far-reaching scope of the DAISY standard, it is critical to ensure that graphical content be as universally accessible and useful as possible. This working group will develop a simple, achievable set of guidelines for incorporating scalable vector graphics (SVG) into the existing DAISY standard as the preferred format for DAISY graphical content. This is because the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) SVG file format is text-based, platform-independent, and allows for a rich internal structure which can be used for extensive textual annotation and semantic navigation. By developing appropriate guidelines for the authoring of SVG content, this working group will begin the work of ensuring that DAISY-compliant SVG will be renderable in a variety of accessible media, such as tactile, audio/tactile, speech, and selectively enhanced visual formats. In addition, the working group will propose detailed roadmaps for the development of software tools and training materials to promote the on-going inclusion of SVG into the future of the DAISY standard.
You can read the complete project charter at: http://www.daisy.org/projects/svg/12_daisy_svg_12.html
If you are interested in joining this working group or if you have any questions, indicate your interest by using the "Contact Us" form on the DAISY Web site, message category, "Project: SVG".
You will get a confirmation email after you have been added to the discussion list.
If you have any additional questions you can send them to me by using the "Contact Us" form on the DAISY Web site, message category, "General"
Edited by George Kerscher