Tools & Services

This DAISY 3 reading software was developed by the Dorina Nowill Foundation for the Blind in Brazil and is free to use and share. The DAISY books can be read by synthesized voice, pre-recorded narration, or text only. The DDR DAISY reading software can be downloaded in 3 different language versions: English, Español, and Português (Note: DDR is the first free Portuguese DAISY 3.0 reader).

DDR is designed as an add-on to the Firefox browser and is available from the Firefox add-on site. Links to DDReader tutorials in each language are also available on the download page and are included in the add-on (press T for tutorial on any DDR mode).

Olav Indergaard explains the benefits that the Norwegian Library of Talking Books and Braille (NLB) have experienced in adding EasyReader Express to their DAISY talking books: "NLB (The Norwegian Library of Talking Books and Braille) has been a provider of DAISY-content for several years. One of our challenges as a DAISY-content provider has been to ensure that our users have access to DAISY-playback systems in order to fully utilize the DAISY-format. NLB therefore decided to provide DAISY-player software to all our users by including a DAISY-player in all our books. EasyReader Express was the software of choice." More information is available on the Dolphin Computer Access website.

The Stream Companion software has been renamed to HumanWare Companion because this software now supports both of the HumanWare digital talking book players: Victor Reader Stream and ClassMate Reader. Users do not need to uninstall the previous version of Stream Companion or ClassMate Companion. Previous programs can remain on your computer along with the new HumanWare Companion. Once you are familiar with the new HumanWare Companion, you can then remove the old Stream or ClassMate Companion using the Windows Add/Remove option of Control Panel. HumanWare Companion can be downloaded from the HumanWare website.

The IVEO® Hands-on-Learning from viewplus Technologies enables learning through touch, sound, and sight. IVEO® lets you use any one, two, or all three of these learning modalities together to learn faster and retain longer. This tool makes learning structured concepts more engaging and inclusive. IVEO® includes sounds, speech or links, in objects to further stimulate learning. It is compatible with DAISY SVG plug-in.

For more information, please visit the official website for IVEO® from Viewplus, Speaking Tactile Diagrams.

Gain instant access to RFB&D’s (now Learning Ally) downloadable DAISY formatted books. Learning Ally members can explore Learning Ally’s extensive library of more than 65,000 audiobooks that are designed for people with print and learning disabilities. Learning Ally Audio application for iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad is available to individuals via the Apple iTunes store. Learning Ally online account is required to use the product, which offers advanced features for accessibility like bookmarking, chapter and page navigation, last position playback, variable speed control and more.

Features:

• Support for MathML, NIMAS 1.1., & DAISY/ NISO 2005. ReadHear Mac is the first DAISY DTB player that supports all updated specifications on the Macintosh.
• Roaming Activation for greater portability. The license can be moved from one computer to another making it cost-effective for school licensing, at home and at work.
• Continuous audio when using another program simultaneously. ReadHear Mac works like a media player, so it will continue reading while you do other things on your computer.
• Optimized for large books. From encyclopedias to textbooks, any large book will open quickly, navigating and processing at the speed of a smaller book.
• Automatic Update. ReadHear Mac regularly checks for updates so users will always have the most recent version available.
• Bookshare, Learning Ally AudioPlus, Educational Publishers, e-Pub, & DRM Supported soon

The ReadHear™ PC is a Section 508 compliant software player that is designed with accessibility as a priority. This software supports the following file formats:

• NIMAS
• Simple text (.txt)
• DAISY 2.02
• DAISY 3.0
• ANSI-NISO (Z39.86-2002)
• DAISY/NISO 2005
• EPUB

The ReadHear™ PC provides people with disabilities access to multiple information sources. The ReadHear™ PC now has improved features and easier navigation. Full details are provided on the gh LLC Web site.

TPB Reader is a DAISY 2.0 and DAISY 2.02 compliant software player designed to be easy to learn even by those with little or no computer experience. Even though it is easy-to-use, the software is powerful enough to satisfy more "advanced" users.

TPB Reader works on Windows® operating systems.

Feature highlights include:

• Auto-detection of available books. TPB Reader automatically scans the system and presents available DTBs to the user in a bookshelf;
• NCC-only and Full Text view modes;
• Time Scale Modification - ability to speed up or slow down the narration without affecting the pitch;
• Fully selfvoicing - external speech synthesizer is not necessary;
• Stylesheets - the user may apply his/her own or predefined Cascading Stylesheets (CSS) to control the visual display of the text;
• IPP Support - TPB Reader can play protected DAISY DTBs; and
• National Language Customization - The user interface (auditory and textual prompts) of TPB Reader can be translated into any language.

TPB Reader is made available at no cost worldwide. However, TPB (The Swedish Library of Talking Books and Braille) does not offer end-user support outside Sweden.

For more information, please visit the official website for TPB Reader.