A gap analysis study conducted by the DAISY Consortium and World Blind Union across 24 countries in Asia, Africa, and South America found significant gaps in technologies and infrastructure for accessible books. The DAISY Forum of India works to address these gaps by connecting organizations across five areas: policy, content availability, outreach, networking, and technology. Some of their achievements include making over 180,000 book titles available in accessible formats in India, developing a national online library, and launching projects to improve text-to-speech and screen reading software support for Indian languages. The DAISY Consortium has also implemented projects in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal to build capacity for inclusive publishing and provide accessible format production, online libraries, playback

1. LEARNING FROM DEVELOPMENT
PROJECTS
HOLISTIC SOLUTION: CONFIDENCE AND CONTENT
BY
DIPENDRA MANOCHA

2. GAP ANALYSIS STUDY
 Gap analysis study conducted jointly by DAISY Consortium and
World Blind Union. Supported by ATDO Japan
 24 countries covered from Asia, Africa and South America
 Analysis done for 76 languages in which books are published
 Mission to find gaps in holistic solution for accessible books

3. GAPS IN KEY TECHNOLOGIES
 TTS 15/76
 Braille Translation software 30/76
 OCR 20/76
 Assistive technology to read e-text or DAISY talking books: less
than 1%

4. GAPS IN INFRASTRUCTURE
 Braille Library: 16/24
 Talking book library: 10/24
 Accessible e-text library: 2/24

5. DAISY FORUM OF INDIA
 Network of 92 small and big organisations and libraries
 Works together on five verticals:
 Policy
 Content availability: all languages, all education boards, 1000 best sellers, news-papers/
magazines and books for higher education
 Outreach: Increase number of registered beneficiaries from current level of
40000 to one million in next three years
 Networking: connecting GO, Public libraries, educational institutions,
developers, publishers and all stakeholders
 Technology: solutions for production, distribution and playback for all languages
and all formats at affordable cost

6. ACHIEVEMENTS
• Copyright exception
• Ratification of Marrakesh treaty
• About 180 thousand titles made available in accessible format in India
• National Accessible Online Library Platform made available free of cost to
developing countries
• Braille translation made available in all Indian languages
• Projects for TTS in Indian languages and screen reading software
launched
• Playback equipment such as smartphones, DAISY players, tablets and
computers distributed under central government scheme

7. Accessible Book Consortium projects in
Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal
 Capacity building among publishers and organizations for / of
Visually Impaired for inclusive publishing and accessible format
production
 Education boards involved in making all textbooks available in
accessible digital formats
 Online library management and distribution system
 Playback equipment with local language TTS
 Training and technical support

8. THANK YOU
WWW.DAISY.ORG
www.daisyindia.org
dmanocha@daisy.org