We work to create the best way to read and publish, for everybody, in the 21st century. We advocate that the accessibility features be implemented in all mainstream publications and supported by mainstream reading applications and devices. The era of ‘born accessible’ publications means that the future of publishing and reading will be inclusive for everyone, providing equal access to books and information for people with print disabilities.

1. Creating the Best Way to Read and Publish
Ending the Book Famine Through eBook
Technology and International Co-operation
Stephen King
President DAISY Consortium:
President@Daisy.org
s.p.king@outlook.com

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Since Caxton people with print
disability denied access

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Print disabled learners denied
access to curriculum

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What is print disability?
(Numbers are uncertain)
• Blind & partially sighted people ~285 million globally
• Includes many older people with age related conditions
• 1 in 7 people over 60 struggle to read ordinary print
www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs282/en/
• Dyslexic conditions
• 1 in 5 US students have a language based learning condition.
Dyslexia is the most common.
• UK estimates 4% of population had dyslexic conditions and up
to 15% prone.
• 20-30%+ of prison population found to have Dyslexia
• Stroke, aphasia and other physical problems
• What is the situation in the Middle East?

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Until now Libraries for the Blind have
helped people to
read with eyes ears & fingers

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But libraries can’t keep up
• Explosion of publishing worldwide
• Making Giant print, Braille, talking books,
is expensive
• Only 5% of books available in these
formats in best performing countries
• Curriculum materials very difficult

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WBU Launched The Right to Read Campaign in 2000
• "Less than 5% of books are
available in any accessible
format"
• "It’s a book famine"
• "We want the right to read the
same book at the same time,
price and place as everyone else“
• DAISY Consortium takes up the
challenge!

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DAISY is a global not for profit consortium.
Not for profit members, for profit Friends.
Originally founded by Libraries for the Blind

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DAISY members support our vision of better
inclusion of people with print disabilities

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Our DAISY Consortium Vision
• People have equal access to information and
knowledge, regardless of disabilities
Our Mission
• Working to create the best way to read and publish,
for everybody, in the 21st century
By delivering global partnerships ... that build a more effective
solution for everyone.
Committed to a common mission & vision.
Coordinating resources to deliver global change

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Our goal is confident readers
reading what they want, when they want with
eyes, ears or fingers.
Wherever they are in the world.

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DAISY Consortium Strategy 2000
• A better way to read: Delivered by 2004
• Digital talking books with good navigation
• E-books with good navigation
• Hybrid audio & text books for great experience
• A better way to share resources
• Global copyright reform: Marrakech Treaty 2013
• Accessible Book Consortium WIPO/IFFRO/IPA/WBU-- 2014
• A better way to publish
• Identified potential of eBooks to transform publishing
• Partner with IDPF on EPUB development
• EPUB 3 launched 2011 with accessibility built in

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E-Books are transforming access

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By 2012
E-Books Transforming accessibility
• Physical: Light easy to use e-book readers
• Low Vision: Enlarge & Bold the print on e-readers
• No Vision: Listen to synthetic speech reading text or
use braille display to read with fingers
• Deaf & Blind: Braille display
• Dyslexic: Combine highlighted text with synthetic
speech or narrated audio to re-enforce reading
• But still a poor user experience and many barriers

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This is what
Amazon say
about the latest
Kindle fire

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Reading with Synthetic Speech
Screen reader & synthetic voice
built into Apple (Voiceover) &
Android (Talkback)

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Reading with Synchronised Text and Speech

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Reading eBook with fingers

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eBooks in many languages
• eBooks are used in most of the worlds major
languages
• Take up and use is fastest in English
• Slower in many cultures
• Arabic eBooks are available
• Access depends on usability of assistive technology
• What is the situation in Middle East?

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Still a long way to go to full access!

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The Impact: In last 4 years
eBooks have transformed access in UK
for people with print disabilities
• In 2000 less than 5% books readable with eyes ears or fingers
• By 2012 7% of all books available in UK accessible by eyes, ears &
fingers. (Up from 5% in 2004)
• 84% of top 1000 books sold in 2012 are e-books, readable by eyes, ears
& fingers on day of publication. (Up from 54% 2010 & 74% in 2011)
• Of top 1000 99% adult fiction, 77% Non fiction & 43% Children's
readable by eyes, ears & fingers
• Illustrations, pictures, Maths, Science still significant problems
• www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub-research-reports/reading-and-braille-research

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The Impact on people:
• Last year Amazon updated
the Kindle app to give
better access to its 1.5
million books.
• Lets hear how this
transformed reading for
Laura.

24. Creating the Best Way to Read and Publish
e-Books can deliver inclusion for
many (But not all)
• E-books can deliver accessibility (In English)
• Consumers have adopted eBooks very fast
• But it’s a poor consumer experience
• For everyone
• Poor navigation, limited note taking, poor maths & sciences,
trapped in proprietary technology, complex layout difficult.
• For print disabled people
• Difficulty with Image descriptions; not everyone has skills.
• EPUB 3 - significant consumer & business benefits

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DAISY Consortium Strategy
• A better way to read
• Books with great navigation and layout
• Read with eyes ears & fingers
• A better way to share resources
• Global copyright reform: Marrakech Treaty
• Accessible Book Consortium
• Infrastructure to share resources globally
• A better way to publish
• Partner with publishing Industry
• Maximise accessibility of eBooks
• Inclusive publishing model

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Global partnerships for
Inclusive publishing

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Born Digital Publishing
• George Kerscher will explain our partnership with
IDPF in Planning for Inclusion session 11:45 - 12:45
• Our ambition is all books are born as accessible e-
books. Only some need enhancement.
• The emerging standard for eBooks is EPUB 3
• Adopted worldwide: Asia, Pacific, EU, US
• Particularly being used by Education publishers
• Accessibility features built into the standard
• George is President of IDPF, the controlling body for
EPUB 3 standard

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ABC Strategy
• TIGAR Service
• International database and book exchange. Already
contains over 238,000 titles in approximately 55
languages from the catalogues of libraries from around
the world.
• Inclusive Publishing
• Promoting technologies and industry standards which
support “born accessible” publishing.
• Capacity Building
• Public and private projects to help build technical skills
in developing countries to produce and distribute books
in accessible formats.

32. Creating the Best Way to Read and Publish
Our goal is confident readers,
reading what they want, when they want with
eyes, ears or fingers.
Wherever they are in the world

33. Creating the Best Way to Read and Publish
DAISY Consortium & ABC
Strategy for Inclusive Publishing
• Increasing numbers of e-books that have built
in accessibility: In-built access publication
• Improved efficiency where publications need
access enhanced: Access enhanced material

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Inbuilt accessibility: Standard
eBook read by eyes ears or fingers

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Enhanced accessibility version
• Picture descriptions, complex layout
• Combine human narration and text for best experience
• Simplified for learning disability
• Economically derived from standard e-book
• Partnerships with specialist producers

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The Inclusive “Market
Accessibility” model of publishing:
• I can discover access features of any book easily
• From bookshop, library, internet, ABC-TIGAR catalogue
• Most eBooks have the access features I need
• I get most books from the same shop or library as others
• Read on phone, tablet or specialised device with eyes, ears or fingers
• For some books I need enhanced access features; and
get these easily
• Discover what’s available from ABC / TIGAR catalogue
• Easily order from local or global authorised entity (University, school,
library, shop, online service provider etc.)

37. Creating the Best Way to Read and Publish
How can you be part of this?
• Get involved in shaping our plans
• Join DAISY Consortium (MADA is Associate Member)
• Middle East DAISY Consortium?
• Get involved with ABC
• Promote Born Digital Publishing in the region and
Arabic language
• Identify Arabic content for TIGAR
• Develop resource sharing network in region
• Support students to learn digital skills

38. Creating the Best Way to Read and Publish
THANK YOU!
End the Book Famine Through eBook Technology
and International Co-operation
Stephen King
President DAISY Consortium:
President@Daisy.org
s.p.king@outlook.com