>Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 13:27:19 -0500
>From: "Gregory J. Rosmaita" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Fwd: Digital Talking Book Standard Approved
>Sender:
> "BLIND-DEV: Development of Adaptive Hardware & Software for the Blind/VI"
> <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Reply-to:
> "BLIND-DEV: Development of Adaptive Hardware & Software for the Blind/VI"
> <[log in to unmask]>
>X-VMS-To: IN%"[log in to unmask]"
>
>FORWARDED EMESSAGE
>>From: "Marilyn Geller" <[log in to unmask]>
>>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>>Subject: Digital Talking Book Standard Approved
>>Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 13:01:06 -0500
>>
>>Bethesda, Md., USA (March 15, 2002) Today, NISO, the National Information
>>Standards Organization, announced that the national standard for the Digital
>>Talking Book (ANSI/NISO Z39.86-2002) has been approved.
>>
>>A Digital Talking Book (DTB) is a collection of electronic files arranged to
>>present information to the blind and physically handicapped reader via
>>alternative media. The most common medium will be human speech. However, a
>>DTB produced in accordance with the new standard can include a file
>>containing the contents of the document in text form, thereby permitting
>>output via synthetic speech, refreshable braille display devices, or visual
>>display in large print.
>>
>>The NISO DTB standard, whose development was coordinated by the Library of
>>Congress's National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
>>(NLS), will make electronic resources presented in DTB format more
>>accessible to print-disabled readers worldwide. "The five-year effort was
>>completed by an international committee representing a broad range of
>>stakeholders dedicated to providing alternative-format materials to
>>print-disabled readers," explained Patricia Harris, NISO Executive Director.
>>The standards project was coordinated by Michael M. Moodie, NLS Research and
>>Development Officer, who chaired and organized the NISO Digital Talking Book
>>Committee's meetings and work groups from its inception in 1997 through the
>>final approval of the standard by the American National Standards Institute
>>(ANSI) on March 6, 2002. "This standard will facilitate the efficient
>>presentation of information through a variety of alternative media and will
>>make it easier for readers to navigate the digital world," Moodie said.
>>
>>The international community partners with NLS in this complex effort are the
>>Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (of the American
>>Library Association); American Council of the Blind; American Foundation for
>>the Blind; American Printing House for the Blind; Blinded Veterans
>>Association; Canadian National Institute for the Blind; the DAISY
>>Consortium; Hadley School for the Blind; Assistive Devices Industry
>>OfficeIndustry Canada; IsSound Corporation; National Federation of the
>>Blind; Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic; Talking Book Publishers, Inc.;
>>Telex Communications, Inc.; VisuAide, Inc.; and the World Blind Union.
>>
>>"The ANSI/NISO DTB standard is built on specifications and needs formulated
>>by blind and visually impaired users, who were heavily involved in every
>>aspect of the development effort, " Harris said. She noted that "during the
>>development process, the full committee met eleven times across the United
>>States and Canada and smaller working groups met countless times in person
>>and via conference calls and e-mail."
>>
>>In explaining the importance of the DTB standard, Moodie said "it makes
>>possible a powerful, flexible reading system that easily adapts to different
>>types of documents and different user needs. It provides a framework under
>>which a person or agency can create DTBs ranging from a very simple novel to
>>a long, complex reference work or textbook. The standard was built as far
>>as possible on existing standards and specifications, so programming skills
>>and software tools developed for other purposes can be applied to the DTB
>>world."
>>
>>"The real beauty of the DTB standard is that it allows users great
>>flexibility in how they read those DTBssome will want a straight, linear
>>reading experience, while others will need sophisticated functions that
>>allow random access to sections of the DTB, the ability to turn on or off
>>elected elements (e.g., footnotes), and the capability to set bookmarks,
>>highlight portions of text, or do keyword searches," Moodie said.
>>
>>According to Frank Kurt Cylke, NLS Director, "The bottom line is that this
>>single standard addresses the requirements of a range of agencies serving
>>users with a wide variety of reading needs. It is truly a universal
>>standard that will benefit the blind community for generations to come."
>>
>>The International Coalition of Access Engineers and Specialists (ICAES)
>>named NISO as one of the winners of their 2001 Collaboration and
>>Coordination Award for its work in developing the DTB specifications.
>>
>>This standard, like all NISO standards, is available for downloading free
>>from the NISO web site (http://www.niso.org).
>>
>>About NISO:
>>NISO is the only U.S. group accredited by the American National Standards
>>Institute to develop and promote technical standards for use in information
>>delivery services providing voluntary standards for libraries, publishers
>>and related information technology organizations. All NISO standards are
>>developed by consensus under the guidance of experts and practitioners in
>>the field to meet the needs of both the information user and the producer.
>>For information about NISO's current standardization interests and
>>membership possibilities, please visit the NISO website at
>>http://www.niso.org.
>>
>>About NLS:
>>Over the past seventy years, the National Library Service for the Blind and
>>Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress, has been a leader in
>>provision of library services to blind and physically handicapped
>>individuals. Each year it distributes 23 million books and magazines to a
>>readership of more than 759,000 individuals who cannot read regular print
>>for visual or physical reasons. NLS functions as the largest and frequently
>>only source of recreational and information reading materials and services
>>for a segment of the population who cannot readily use the print materials
>>of public libraries. The NLS International Union Catalog contains 382,000
>>titles in 22 million copies. The average reader borrows 40 recorded books
>>and magazines a year. As an integral part of the Library of Congress, NLS
>>every year selects, produces, catalogs, and distributes 2,000 full-length
>>books and magazines in 2,000,000 braille and recorded copies. Reading
>>materials are distributed to a cooperating network of 141 regional and
>>subregional libraries where they are circulated to eligible borrowers.
>>Reading materials and playback machines are provided free to borrowers and
>>returned to libraries by postage-free mail. For additional information
>>about NLS, please visit its web site: <www.loc.gov/nls>.
>>
>>For additional information contact:
>>
>>For NISO:
>>Marilyn Geller
>>Communications Coordinator
>>National Information Standards Organization
>>Telephone: (301) 654-2512
>>E-mail: <[log in to unmask]>
>>
>>For NLS:
>>Robert E. Fistick
>>Head, Publications and Media Section
>>National Library Service for the Blind
>> and Physically Handicapped
>>The Library of Congress
>>Washington, DC 20542
>>Telephone: (202) 707-9279
>>E-mail: <[log in to unmask]>
>
|
