Daisy (digital accessible information system) books for vision impaired persons
Digital Accessible Information System, or DAISY, is a means of creating digital talking books for people who wish to hear—and navigate—written material
Presented in an audible format; many such listeners have print disabilities including blindness, impaired vision, dyslexia or other issues.
Using DAISY, a talking book format is presented with enabled navigation within a sequential and hierarchical structure consisting of (marked-up) text synchronized
With audio.
DAISY 2 was a standard based on XHTML and SMIL
DAISY 3 is also based on XML and is standardized as ANSI/NISO Z39.86-2005 (R2012)
DAISY assists people who, for different reasons, have problems using regular printed media. DAISY books have the benefits of regular [[audiobooks]], but
They are superior because DAISY 2.02 provides up to six embedded “navigation levels” for content (i.e. other objects such as images, graphics, [[MathML]]
Etc.)and for displaying synchronized text to speech. DAISY Multimedia can be a talking book, computerized text or a synchronized presentation of text and
Audio.
As a result, DAISY books allow the blind listener to navigate an encyclopedia; this is impossible using conventional audio recordings because they lack
Search and [[navigation features]] and they require linear listening
While reading a DAISY book, a reader can go to the next or previous page, chapter or sentence. DAISY is for everyone who needs accessible information and
For everyone who loves to read.
The DAISY Consortium has been selected by the National Information Standards Organization (NISO) as the official maintenance agency for the DAISY/NISO
Standard, officially, the ANSI/NISO Z39.86, Specifications for the Digital Talking Book, known as DAISY 3.
The DAISY Consortium was founded in 1996 and consists of a growing membership of organizations around the world committed to developing equitable access
To information for people who have a [[print disability]].
DAISY books can be heard on standalone DAISY players and computers using DAISY playback software
Mobile phones, and MP3 players – with limited navigation. DAISY books can be distributed on a CD/DVD, memory card or through the Internet.
A computerized text DAISY book can be read using refreshable Braille display or screen-reading software, printed as Braille book on paper, converted to
A talking book using synthesised voice or a human narration, and also printed on paper as large print book. In addition, it can be read as large print
Text on computer screen.
Software-based players include:
◾ GH PLAYER, a commercial DAISY player
◾ AMIS – Adaptive Multimedia Information System – an open-source self-voicing player for Windows that works with several screen readers; developed by the
DAISY Consortium
Emerson-reader, an open-source and cross-platform Epub and DAISY player
Dorina DAISY Reader (DDReader)
ButtercupReader, a web-based application for DAISY 3 books
CUCAT Olearia, an open-source DAISY reader for Mac OS X
Daisy Delight (DAISY 2.02, for Mac OS X and Unix-based systems)
DAISY Book Reader, GTK Daisy Talking Book reader application
Other relevant software:
Daisy Uppsala Archive Project, server-side system for managing DAISY (Digital Talking Books) files
Online Daisy Delivery Technology, open-source software to deliver DAISY books online
Hardware Players
There are also a wide range of hardware products available that can play DAISY content, usually in a portable form factor. Some of these devices are dedicated
To playback of books, while others focus on other functionality, such as PDA or mobile Internet access, and offer DAISY playback as either a feature of
The unit or as a software add-on.
In Sri Lanka the DAISY Lanka Foundation is committed to produce DAISY books for vision impaired persons and persons with print disabilities. The DAISY Lanka Foundation has undertaken many projects to fill the gap of lack of reading materials for especially in our local language (Sinhala). Ms. ManiqueGunaratne is the former Secretary of the DAISY Lanka Foundation and from 2014 she is an Executive Committee Member.
ManiqueGunaratne
Face Book – ManiqueGunaratne
