IFLA Libraries for the Blind Section
Newsletter No. 1. 2007
IFLA Best Newsletter 2000 and 2001
The IFLA/LBS Newsletter is issued twice a
year.
Editors:
Lina Kouzi
Information Coordinator
National Council for the Blind of Ireland
Whitworth Road
Drumcondra
Dublin 9
Ireland
Tel: +353-1850-33 43 53
Fax: +353-1-830 77 87
E-mail: lina.kouzi@ncbi.ie
Beatrice Christensen Sköld
Chair
TPB
122 88 Enskede
Tel: +46-8-39 93 74
Fax: +46-8-659 94 67
E-mail: bea.christensen@tpb.se>
The Newsletter is available in Braille and on www.ifla.org
Words from the Chair
Standing Committee meeting in Hamburg
Dates for your diary
Best practice in library services for print
disabled children
A thriving Standing Committee
Ulverscroft best practice awards
How to find out what’s going on
Shaping the Vision of the Global Library
Register for Preconference and workshop
IFLA World Digital Library Working Group on
Guidelines for Digital Libraries
Funding and governance of library and information
services for visually impaired people
International Conference on Tsunami
Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities in Thailand
New National Library Service in UK
1.5 Millionth Cassette Book Machine Marks End
of an Era in Service to Blind Community
Mathematics Now Added to the DAISY Standard
Robobraille an Overview
TECHSHARE 2007
WIPO Study
Standing Committee Members
Chairperson
Beatrice Christensen Sköld
The Swedish Library of Talking Books
and Braille (TPB)
SE-122 88 Enskede
Sweden
Tel: +46-8-39 93 74
Fax: +46-8-659 94 67
E-mail: bea.christensen@tpb.se
Secretary
Helen Brazier, Director
National Library for the Blind
Far Cromwell Road, Bredbury
Stockport SK6 25G, United Kingdom
E-mail: Helen.brazier@nlbuk.org
Marijke van Bodengraven, Dedicon*
Lina Kouzi, NCBI Library, Ireland, Information
Coordinator
Courtney Deines-Jones, ALA, USA
Elke Dittmer, MEDIBUS, Germany
Marie-Hélène Dougnac, France
Galina Elfimova, Moscow, Russia
Margaret McGrory, CNIB Library,
Canada
Luc Maumet, AVH, France
Misako Nomura, JRDP Japan
Pete Osborne, RNIB; UK
Johan Roos, South Africa *
Eugenia V. Shepavolova,
S:t Petersburg, Russia
Carolyn Sung, NLS, USA
Elsebeth Tank, DBB, Denmark
Dick Tucker, FORCE, Netherlands*
Päivi Voutilainen, Celia Library,
Finland
Keun Hae Yuk, Korean Braille Library, South
Korea
*) Elected but not active since they changed
professional areas
Words from the Chair:
The Dream of the Global library
IFLA Libraries for the Blind Section has many
challenges. The main focus is on the dream of realizing the accessible global
library. We have a three year strategic plan to work after where cooperation
with the DAISY Consortium and the World Blind union are important tools to
reach our goal.
In the strategic plan for 2003-2006 we state:
Today there are 161 million blind and partially sighted people in the world who
need access to books and information for all the same reason as sighted people.
But 95 percent of books in the world are never made available in accessible
formats. The same situation prevails in all countries, from the poorest to the
richest. Part of the problem is attributable to the cost of transforming print
publications into accessible formats, which despite technological advances is
still high.
The highest barrier we encounter is presumably
copyright legislation that puts barriers in the way of sharing recourses. We
have been able to agree on a common standard for accessible material the
DAISY/NISO standard but national copyright still is an obstacle for sharing
material.
I would like to remind members and other
libraries for the blind of the World Intellectual Property Organizations (WIPO)
“standard section” with exceptions for the blind and visually impaired, which
is recommended to be included in copyright laws that not already have an
“exception” for production material for the blind and print disabled. Members
are also recommended to work for a national copyright that doesn’t build up
walls against international cooperation. This is particularly important when
it comes to digital media. All the advantages with the accessible digital media
are lost if copyright becomes an obstacle for exchange.
Another issue on of our strategic plan is to
encourage training and continuing development of library staff serving print
disabled people. We do this by holding annual sessions at the IFLA World
Library and Information Congress and every other year a so called Satellite
Meeting for experts within our own field. Our work is voluntary and we always
have to look for financial support from other sources such as SIDA/IFLA ALP and
the FORCE Foundation.
Yet another goal is to establish and support
guidelines and best practise for accessible library and information services.
There are plenty of interesting documents and guidelines accessible on
www.ifla.org.
Cooperation between organisations is one
thing, but there are always people behind organisations. The Dream of the
global library can only be realised by people. People who cooperate and work
together. Richer institutions must be able to help those who have less means.
By human meetings new ideas are created. Ideas that can realise the dream of
the global library.
Beatrice Christensen Sköld
Chair
Section News:
Standing Committee meeting, Hamburg,
27-28 February 2007
The Libraries for the Blind Section mid year
Standing Committee meeting took place in Hamburg this year, thanks to the warm
hospitality of Elke Dittmer and Medibus. There was a large and lively
gathering of 13 Standing Committee members and 8 guests, many of whom had been
nominated as new members of the Standing Committee for the period 2007-2011. We
enjoyed meeting in the House of Literature and visiting the talking book
library.
The two day meeting touched on many different
approaches to developing the global accessible library, including:
- Future programme: planning meetings in South
Africa, in Eastern Europe 2008 and even further ahead to 2009
- Reports on current projects: on performance
measures; on governance and funding of library and information services for the
blind; and on development of DAISY cataloguing standards
- Co-operation with the World Blind Union on
developing a lobbying toolkit; and other ways of tackling copyright barriers
- How to deliver the Ulverscroft Foundation/LBS
best practice awards 2007-2008
- Review of the Section’s strategic plan
- Development of a marketing plan for the
Section
For more information, please see the minutes
on the yahoo group, as soon as it is live (see below), or contact the Secretary
helen.brazier@rnib.org.uk
Dates for your diary
Libraries for the Blind Section conference,
Grahamstown, South Africa, 14-15 August 2007
WLIC, Durban, South Africa, 19-23 August 2007
Standing Committee meetings, Durban, South
Africa, 18 and 24 August 2007
Best practice in library services for print
disabled children
This year, the Section has teamed up with the
IFLA Section for Children and Young Adults to present a programme at WLIC,
Durban on best practice in library services for print disabled children. The
call for papers brought many interesting proposals and it was hard to choose
between them. However, we think we will have an interesting mix on the day,
with papers from Croatia, Sweden, India and UK, on tactile books and on
developing services in special libraries and in mainstream public libraries.
Look out for this session in the conference programme.
A thriving Standing Committee
This August sees some major changes to the
Section’s Standing Committee. We are sad to say goodbye to several long
standing members who have contributed greatly to the work of the Section over
many years. They are: Beatrice Christensen Sköld, Chair; Helen Brazier,
Secretary; Lina Kouzi, Information Officer; Marijke van Bodengraven; Elke
Dittmer; Marie Hélène Dougnac; Johan Roos; Carolyn Sung; Elsebeth Tank; Keun
Hae Youk and Päivi Voutilainen.
We are very pleased to welcome our new
members: Marja-Leena Ahola, TPB, Sweden; Jenny Craven, MMU, UK; Bente Dahl
Rathje, DBB, Denmark; Rebecca Harrington, Vision Australia; Francois Hendrikz,
Blindlib, South Africa; Thomas Kahlisch, Medibus, Germany; Hiroshi Kawamura,
Nippon Lighthouse, Japan; Koen Krikhaar, Dedicon, Netherlands; Steve Prine,
NLS, USA; and Minna von Zansen, Celia, Finland.
The following members are continuing in
office: Courtney Deines-Jones, Grimalkin Group/ALA, USA; Galina Sergeevna
Elfimova, Russian State Library for the Blind, Russia; Margaret McGrory, CNIB,
Canada; Luc Maumet, AVH, France; Misako Nomura, JSRPD, Japan; Peter Osborne,
RNIB, UK; and Eugenia Viktorovna Shepovalova, St Petersburg State Library for
the Blind, Russia.
As you can tell, the Section’s officers are
all leaving and therefore there will be new officers appointed in Durban. They
will introduce themselves to you in the next edition of the newsletter.
More Ulverscroft
Foundation-IFLA LBS Frederick Thorpe best
practice awards
The Section was thrilled to hear recently that
the UK based Ulverscroft Foundation has once again generously agreed to fund
the Frederick Thorpe best practice awards in 2007-2008.
In the last few years, this rare award scheme
has enabled seven staff of various libraries for the blind to spend between one
and four weeks working overseas in a partner library of their choice. All of
the staff concerned have found it an immensely valuable experience; a great
opportunity for personal and organizational development that has frequently
resulted in new and enduring partnerships.
The scheme has also funded two significant
projects to create a database of accessible resources in Nigeria and make
accessible books for children in Belgorod.
Thanks to the Ulverscroft Foundation, there
will be funding available again in 2007-2008 to support more working visits
and/or a project. Any staff working in library services for blind or partially
sighted people may apply. Further details will be available from August 2007
via Ulverscroft Foundation and LBS websites:
http://www.foundation.ulverscroft.com
http://www.ifla.org/VII/s31/index.htm
How to find out what’s going on
Until the end of 2006, Section members made
active use of a smartgroup e-mail list and file archive. It became a very
useful place to share information and ask or answer sometimes quite unusual
questions. Since the demise of smartgroups at that time, we have been seeking
an accessible alternative and believe we have found the answer with yahoo
groups. Steps are being taken to establish a new yahoo group for the Section
and we hope it will be up and running shortly. You don’t have to be a member of
the section or even a member of IFLA to join - it will be open to anyone who is
interested. If you would like to join the new yahoo group, please contact Chris
Herring at chris.herring@rnib.org.uk
Shaping the Vision of the Global Library
These are the criterias for shaping the vision
of the Global Library:
Overriding Principles
- Cooperation
- Act now
- Set up clearly defined projects with stated
objectives
- Think about how it works for ”people”
Principles: Summary
- Share content (including lending and
borrowing), information and infrastructure with developed bilateral and
multilateral partnerships, ensuring that duplication of effort is avoided in
order to reduce provision costs globally. Work together to develop global
library repositories of multi-language DAISY standard content with standardized
cataloguing systems
- Bridge the digital divide with partnerships,
communication and cooperation
- Investigate and utilize Contract Law as well
as copyright law, looking at license rights with or without royalties, and licensing
with digital rights clearance
- Promote literacy with the DAISY current and
future standard
- Make the DAISY standard mainstream
- Look to mainstream technology for players
and reading systems
- Ensure sustainable financial and human
resources
- Ensure that DRM does not result in digital
books that cannot be accessed by those who are print disabled. DRM must not
become a barrier to access
- Deal with copyright issues in a fair and
objective way; protect intellectual property and the rights of copyright
holders, and protect relationships with publishers
- Develop an effective and sustainable
business model that defines participation in the global library
- Value and make use of the content commercial
producers can provide
- Partner with publishers, authors, agents and
others; understand what their motivations are and work with them
Addendum
WSIS-03/GENEVA/DOC/4-E
”3) Access to information and knowledge
25. The sharing and strengthening of global
knowledge for development is essential in an inclusive Information Society.
26. A rich public domain is an essential
element for the growth of the Information Society, creating multiple benefits
such as an educated public, new jobs, innovation, business opportunities, and
the advancement of sciences. Information in the public domain should be easily
accessible to support the Information Society, and protected from
misappropriation. Public institutions such as libraries and archives, museums,
cultural collections and other community-based access points should be
strengthened as to promote the preservation of documentary records and free and
equitable access to information.”
Register for Preconference and workshop
Time to register for IFLA Libraries for the
blind satellite meeting in Grahamstown 14-15 August 2007. You register at
www.blindlib.org.za. The theme of the Conference is “Library Service for print
disabled people: a tool for literacy”. In conjunction with the conference there
will be a two day workshop on how to make tactile picture books for blind
children, 16-17 August.
IFLA World Digital Library Working Group on
Guidelines for Digital Libraries
The ”IFLA World Digital Library Working Group
on Guidelines for Digital Libraries” was initiated and is chaired by Claudia
Lux, President Elect of IFLA. Elsebeth Tank, member of the IFLA Libraries for
the Blind Standing Committee and President of the DAISY Consortium has been
appointed member of this group. Elsebeth Tank’s appointment to this working
group recognizes the efforts of Libraries for the Blind to shape the Digital
Global library for the print disabled.
Funding and governance of library and information
services for visually impaired people:
International case studies
This study was commissioned and funded by the
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions’ Libraries
for the Blind Section, the British Library and the Museums, Libraries and
Archives Council, England. It aimed to compare different approaches to the
funding and governance of library and information services for visually
impaired people, and to determine the impact these factors have on outcomes.
It was prompted by enquiries for comparative evidence from industrialised and
developing countries (e.g. UK, Canada and Zambia). The outcomes could inform
libraries for visually impaired people and other stakeholders anywhere in the
world to support improvements in access to library and information services.
The research could also serve as a valuable basis for academic research into
service delivery models and funding.
The study, conducted by Rightscom Ltd.,
UK-based consultants assisted by Dick Tucker, formerly of the FORCE Foundation,
was carried out between May 2006 and March 2007 through desk research, e-mail
questionnaires and telephone interviews. The study was directed by a Steering
Committee comprised of Clive Field, British Library (Chair), Helen Brazier,
IFLA LBS/NLB, Chris Friend, World Blind Union Copyright and Right to Read
Committee/Sightsavers International, Jill Martin, CILIP, Margaret McGrory, IFLA
LBS/CNIB, John Palmer, Share the Vision/Right to Read Alliance/Calibre Audio
Library, and Marcus Weisen, MLA.
A questionnaire was e-mailed to countries,
chosen by the Steering Group, covering a range of stages of economic
development and social, political and cultural variations. They included
Australia, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, South Africa,
Sweden, UK and USA. The study findings will offer insights into organization
and method of service delivery, relationship of services to visually impaired
and print disabled people, sources and extent of funding, policy and
governance, the impact of legislation, copyright and technology, movements
towards equality, and barriers. The authors will address key points emerging
from the evidence and provide recommendations that will take the form of a
toolkit that can be used by international organizations or by national
governments, service providers, producers, consumer groups or other
stakeholders. The report is expected to be published April 2007 and will be
available on various professional websites such as MLA, IFLANET, and IFLA LBS.
News from the Globe:
Report of the International Conference on
Tsunami Preparedness for Persons with
Disabilities in Thailand
The International Conference on Tsunami
Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities was held on January 11 and 12 in
Phuket, Thailand. The conference was co-hosted by the DAISY Consortium,
Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD), the Council of Disabled People
of Thailand (CDPT), National Electronics and Computer Technology Center,
Thailand (NECTEC), Thailand Association of the Blind (TAB Group), DAISY For
All Project Thailand (DFA Thailand), Asian Disaster Preparedness Center and
Thai Autism Vocational Center.
The purpose of this conference was to
establish an international networking group for the promotion of Tsunami
preparedness to persons with disabilities. This was done in the context of WSIS
(World Summit on the Information Society) Action Plan by sharing information on
the following:
- Logical understanding of Tsunami, accessible
communication channels for warning, and planned/confirmed evacuation routes;
- Best practices for Tsunami preparedness
promotion activities that meet the requirements of persons with disabilities;
- On-going Tsunami disaster prevention
initiatives at local/international level;
- Initiatives for bridging the digital divide
in the area of disaster preparedness of persons with disabilities as mentioned
in the WSIS Action Plan.
Nearly 100 international participants attended
the meeting. The participants were interested in digital opportunities in the
area of tsunami preparedness for persons with disabilities. They actively
participated in the discussion of how they can improve tsunami evacuation plans
to meet the special needs of people with disabilities, old people, patients,
children, pregnant women, refugees, cultural/linguistic minorities, foreign
travelers, etc.
The final session of the conference focused on
the adoption of the Phuket Declaration presented by Mr. Monthian Buntan and Mr.
Hiroshi Kawamura.
The following is the final text of the Phuket
Declaration on Tsunami Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities:
We, participants of the International
Conference on Tsunami Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities, assembled on
the eleventh and twelfth of January 2007, at Royal Phuket City Hotel, Phuket,
Thailand, declare that:
"Tsunami disasters can be prevented
through: sharing of knowledge and best practices on Tsunami and other
disasters, strong commitment and active participation for contribution of all
stakeholders including in particular persons with disabilities to eliminate the
loss of lives, local community-based initiatives for disaster preparedness and infrastructure
building including Tsunami early warning system at all levels to disseminate
timely disaster warning to all people concerned, building of disability
friendly infrastructure addressing accessibility issues in all phases of
disaster management.
In a knowledge-based society, ICT development,
which includes assistive technologies and universal design concept, will
contribute to the success of disaster preparedness development that will meet
the diverse needs of all people including those of persons with disabilities
and other vulnerable people including women, children, old people, cultural
minorities, tourists, etc. in the community.
Such ICT development should be based on
internationally-recognized standards that are open, non-proprietary, and have
proven track record of accessibility.
In commemoration of the Asian Tsunami 2004 and
in support of WSIS action plan, Hyogo Frame Work of Action and Tampere
Convention, we recommend that:
- An educational/training center on Tsunami
and other disaster preparedness should be established.
- All aspects of such center, including
physical infrastructure and training materials, should be inclusive and
accessible to persons with disabilities.
- All stake holders should follow the
principles of WSIS and UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
to implement effective preparedness for Tsunami and other disasters.
- All people attending the conference make
sure that they could do some collaborative work to promote disaster
preparedness for persons with disabilities."
I hope more people and related agencies will
join this network to work together to address this important issue.
Misako Nomura,
Deputy Director, Information Center of JSRPD
New National Library Service in UK
Trustees from the Royal National Institute of
the Blind (RNIB) and the National Library for the Blind (NLB) recently agreed
to merge the library services of both charities as of 1 January 2007, creating
the new RNIB National Library Service.
Blind and partially sighted people in the UK
are frustrated by the totally inadequate provision by publishers and mainstream
libraries of books and other reading materials in formats like braille, large
print or audio. Both RNIB and NLB provide a supplementary range of library
services and by combining the services of both charities, blind and partially
sighted people will enjoy a more comprehensive service with a wider choice of
titles and formats. Duplication will be reduced so that more resources can be
channelled into direct services for customers.
Lesley-Anne Alexander, RNIB’s Chief Executive,
said: ”An enormous amount
of work has been put into achieving this
merger. Creating a unified library service will bring about real improvements
to the library services available to people with sight problems in the UK.
Together we are taking a brave and important step that will have a big impact
for our customers, creating one of the world’s largest resources of accessible
reading formats.”
Since January, new teams have been appointed
and work has been taking place to merge all library and suporting functions of
the two organisations. The Head of the National Library Service will be Helen
Brazier, former Chief Executive of NLB, and the new service will be launched to
customers in summer 2007.
For more information, please contact Helen
Brazier
helen.brazier@rnib.org.uk
1.5 Millionth Cassette Book Machine Marks End
of an Era in Service to Blind Community
The National Library Service for the Blind and
Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress, produced its last analog
cassette book machine on February 17, 2007, signaling the advent of Digital
Talking Books.
During a ceremony held on March 1 in Blue
Earth, Minnesota, Telex Communications, Inc. presented NLS with the milestone
player—the 1,248,113th manufactured by the company since 1983.
Since 1969, 1.5 million cassette book machines
(CBMs) have been manufactured and distributed to more than 25 million NLS
patrons. These machines were designed to play audiocassettes recorded at 15/16
inches per second (ips) on 4-track tapes, allowing up to six hours of playback
time per cassette.
Though many enhancements have been made to
cassette book machines over the years, dramatic advances in technology have
prompted NLS to move to a digital system using flash-memory technology to
improve services to its patrons.
Analog audiocassette and cassette book machine
technology has been the backbone of the NLS system, but it is outdated and
nearing the end of its useful life,” said NLS director Frank Kurt Cylke. “Our
patrons have heightened expectations of service improvements, especially those
who are tech savvy. Their expectations along with the impending obsolescence of
key elements of analog technology warrant the conversion to a digital system. Digital
talking-book machine technology will replace audiocassette technology just as
audiocassette technology replaced its predecessor, rigid disc technology.”
NLS expects to launch the digital audio system
in 2008. The new system will include solid state, flash-memory playback
machines that will be about one-third the size of the current machine and will
play digital audiobooks provided on flash-memory cartridges. The system will
provide better audio quality, be more durable, be more reliable, and consume
less power. In addition cartridges will allow longer playing time and
practically eliminate the need to change cartridges, as is often required with
audiocassettes.
C-1 No. 1248113, the last CBM, is expected to
be in service until the digital transition is complete. Indeed 58 percent of
CBMs are still in use after ten years.
“Though production of the CBM has ceased, NLS
will continue to provide CBMs, from our existing inventory, and cassette
audiobooks to our patrons during the transition to digital talking books and
players,” said NLS chief of Materials and Development Division Michael
Katzmann. “The use of CBMs will decline rapidly with the introduction of the
digital player, how-ever we expect some patrons to continue using CBMs beyond
2012.”
Mathematics now added to the DAISY Standard
March 22, 2007, the DAISY Consortium announced
the formal adoption of the specification for the DAISY/NISO Standard Modular
Extension for Mathematics. The publication of the Mathematics Modular Extension
is crucial to integrating accessible mathematics into DAISY and NIMAS-compliant
books. The path to accessible mathematics is now clear.
The current DAISY/NISO Standard does not
include an explicit method for including mathematics, however it does define
how Modular Extensions can be added. The DAISY MathML Modular Extension working
group has developed a solution for including mathemathics using a MathML
extension, enabling full support for accessible mathemathics in the DAISY/NISO
Standard.
MathML is a W3C XML application developed with
accessibility to mathematics as a primary goal. It is now critical for the
publishing, education and accessibility communities to begin supporting this
new DAISY/NISO Mathematics Modular Extension, to ensure rapid industry-wide
utilization of accessible mathemathics.
According to Dr. Neil Soiffer, who chaired the
DAISY Working Group on Mathematics, ”The group looked at many different
alternatives to supporting math and came up with a solution that allows
advanced players to provide access to mathematics that can be tailored to the
needs of the reader while still providing a fallback mechanism so that basic
players lose no functionality compared to today’s access. By using W3C’s
MathML recommendations as the representation for math, content authors and
producers can leverage existing tools. This will help to jump start the
creation of accessible documents containing math and help foster the day when
math content can be read by everyone.”
George Kerscher, Secretary General for the
DAISY Consortium, remarks that, ”Now, with support for mathematics in the
DAISY/NISO Standard, educational institutions have a comprehensive
specification to adopt. The Consortium will be quickly developing additional
documentation to assist content creators, such as usage guidelines and sample
content. We expect to see integrated support in production tools very soon as
well.”
Chuck Hitchcock, Director of the NIMAS
Technical Assistance Center at CAST, indicates that the publication of the
DAISY Modular Extension for math is a welcome advance toward the universal
design of math instructional content. ”Now that DAISY has integrated a MathML
vocabulary into its specification, publishers creating NIMAS-compliant files as
part of federal IDEA requirements will soon be able to support a much greater
level of accessibility and educational efficacy for elementary and secondary
math textbooks.”
”Now that MathML is officially part of the
DAISY Standard, we have great hopes for continuing improvements in scientific
literacy for people with print disabilities,” said Jeff Gardner, CEO of
ViewPlus Technologies, Inc. ”The availability of scientific literature and math
materials in MathML will greatly benefit the growing numbers of students with
disabilities now pursuing careers in the sciences.”
Further commenting on the implications of this
development for scientific literacy, Joachim Klaus, Director of the Study
Centre for the Visually Impaired Students at the Universitaet Karlsruhe
(TH/Germany) remarks, ”Internationalization and globalization characterize the
Higher Educational teaching, learning and research system. Accessible
information and communication technology are vital - we can’t imagine our daily
lives without it. Mathematic models and equations are used in all study and
research fields. The extension of Digital Talking Books for Mathematics is
therefore a milestone forward for the inclusion of all into the scientific
community.”
-The work of the MathML-in-DAISY committee is
vital to the field of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics for the
disabled. Disabled people are among the most under-represented groups in the
technical fields, and the improved access that DAISY enables should allow more
and more disabled people to enter in to new career opportunities, comments
David Schleppenbach, President of GH, LLC, a company that manufactures a
MathML-aware DAISY software player.
For more information about the DAISY Modular
Extension for Mathematics, see the MathML in DAISY website at
http://www.daisy.org/projects/mathml/
For inquiries, please use the DAISY Contact Us
form
Robobraille an
Overview
The Robobraille is a Pan-European e-mail agent
for Braille and text-to-speech translation. The Robobraille robot can convert
printed material to contracted Braille or synthetic speech through an efficient
and high quality email service. The service is owned, operated and maintained
by the Danish Centre for Visual Impairment, Children and Youth (Refsnæs).
Users can e-mail documents (e.g HTML, Word,
PDF) to the service, and within a matter of a few minutes, the documents are
returned in either contracted Braille, or synthetic speech depending on user
preferences and language. Users do not have to install any additional
technologies to their computers. The system is available from all platforms
that are capable of sending and receiving e-mails.
What are the benefits from Robobraille?
The Robobraille Service enables vision
impaired individuals to automatically translate electronic print documents to
and from contracted Braille and to synthetic speech.
The benefits of Robobraille are:
- Creating Independence for Vision impaired
Individuals: The Robobraille will enable individuals to access information in
their required format ( Braille/ audio)
- Inexpensive processing of documents: The
Robobraille will not incur any added production costs as the service is based
on existing email agent technology and Braille translation technology.
- Speed of Braille and audio production of
documents: Robobraille translates documents to Braille or audio within minutes
thus reducing current production time.
Who are the European Partners?
The Robobraille service will be validated in
the following countries: Italy, Greece, Ireland, UK, Cyprus and Portugal. A
running prototype of Robobraille has been in operation in Denmark since August
2004. The current service in Denmark is capable of translating Danish text to
and from contracted Braille in 6 and 8 -dot Braille.
The Robobraille project will conclude in
December 2007.
Contact: Lars Ballieu Christensen
Rådgiver/Adviser, Sensus ApS
Tel: +45 48 22 10 03 – Mobil: +45 40 32 68 23
- Skype: Ballieu
lbc@sensus.dk www.sensus.dk
TECHSHARE 2007
4-5 October, London, UK
www.rnib.org.uk/techshare
Technology is making a difference to the lives
of people with disabilities.
The Techshare 2007 Conference is an
international event for professionals interested in technology and the role it
plays in learning, work and society for people with disabilities.
Packed with presentations and workshops, this
year the event also includes a large exhibition open to the public.
We are also delighted to announce that the
2007 Daisy International Technical Conference will be held at Techshare. Daisy
is the world’s leading standard for digital talking books. Venue: Novotel
London West (Hammersmith), London, UK
Organised by RNIB and other leading disability
organisations, Techshare is a fantastic opportunity to meet with experts and
others in your field in a friendly atmosphere.
The Techshare Conference and Exhibition is the
place to be to get up-to-date with current and new technologies, share advances
in technology and leave the conference with the latest practical knowledge on
how technology is being used by people with disabilities.
Important dates:
- Speak at Techshare: Call for papers closes 1
July 2007
- Book your place: Early-bird discount booking
opens 1 May 2007
- Pre-Conference Workshops will be held on 3
October 2007
- Exhibitor Enquiries:
To showcase your organisation contact Claire
Clinton at Headstar.
Email claire@headstar.com
Telephone +44 (0)1273 231 291
Conference information
www.rnib.org.uk/techshare
Email: techshare@rnib.org.uk
Telephone +44 (0)121 665 4240
WIPO Study
WIPO – World Intellectual Property
Organization - has recently published its study into exceptions and limitations
to copyright around the World for the benefit of visually impaired people. This
includes an examination of the international transfer issue.
You can find links to Word and html versions
at: http://www.wipo.int/meetings/en/doc_details.jsp?doc_id=75696
This is a dauntingly long document, and this
may be why it seems to take the Word version for ever to download.
The study contains a wealth of information on
the situation in a great many countries from all around the world. As well as
this factual exercise, it draws a number of conclusions and makes over 20
recommendations. WBU, Daisy and IFLA are also mentioned in the
recommendations.
A meeting between WBU and WIPO will take place
June 1 in Geneva, where discussions will take place regarding a follow up to
this report and to last year’s WIPO report into DRM as it affects our
interests.
More information can be obtained from.
David Mann
Campaigns Officer, RNIB
David.mann@rnib.org.uk