What I did on my summer holidays.

[Janina Sajka]

The problem with current publisher files is that they're mostly in Quark, 
which is heavy on look and feel, and very low on structure. Fortunately, 
this is not just our problem, it's also a problem for the publisher who 
wants to maintain one set of source documents versionable for multiple 
output modalities such as print and ebooks. Hence, we work with the Open E 
Book Forum (http://www.openebook.org;

As to the focus on hardcopy braille, I agree with you. The emphasis must 
be on efiles which can be shared and can generate hardcopy braille, 
refreshable braille, synthetic speech, large-print, etc., etc. AFB is also 
working on this, and we have very good news. We have an agreement with the 
publishing industry on how to move forward on this, and it includes a new 
law in the U.S. that we think will work for us, and that the publishers 
believe will work for them as well. To learn more go to:

	http://www.tsbvi.edu/textbooks/afb/index.htm
 On Sun, 27 Jan 
2002, Kirk Wood wrote:

> On Sun, 27 Jan 2002, Janina Sajka wrote:
> > Part of the problem is that creating braille or tape versions is generally 
> > a "one-off" done by hand from a printed page. Not very efficient. What 
> > we're trying to eingineer with NISO/DAISY, and with our participation in 
> > the OEBF, is access to the underlying text in a well-marked-up XML (or 
> > SGML). If we can get publishers to:
> > 
> > 1.)	Use good markup;
> > 2.)	Allow us to build a server-based delivery system;
> 
> So is there anything to prevent agencies already doing braille translation
> from the publisher files to put their work out in DAISY format? Having
> helped some with the group that does most of the textbooks for k-12 in
> this area, I can tell how they do it. They get the text book in electronic
> format. They also get two copies of the book in print and correction
> sheets.
> 
> They then have sigted people ensure that any corrections from the sheets
> are marked in the print versions. They translate the braille from the
> electronic version. One of the print books is available to the translator
> to ensure that formatting is correct. The other goes to the proof
> reader. Then the book is embossed.
> 
> Two come to mind here. The first, is that the embossing seems most
> wastefull. While expansive, I feel they should move to refreshable
> braille. This would allow the student to carry the entire text book as
> sigted students do.
> 
> The second thing is that I find it bothersome that the same can't be done
> in other situations. The small group near me translates well over 100
> texts a year. Most of this is done in a matter of 4 months. It astounds
> (and saddens) me that given this ability, more books aren't
> available. I hope that the DAISY format can perhaps speed this up and
> perhaps work toward having most books available to the blind comunity.
> 
> =======
> Kirk Wood
> Cpt.Kirk at 1tree.net
> 
> Nowlan's Theory:
>         He who hesitates is not only lost, but several miles from
>         the next freeway exit.
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
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> Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> 

-- 
	
				Janina Sajka, Director
				Technology Research and Development
				Governmental Relations Group
				American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)

Email: janina at afb.net		Phone: (202) 408-8175

Chair, Accessibility SIG
Open Electronic Book Forum (OEBF)
http://www.openebook.org