[Dtb-talk] FW: The DAISY Consortium Announces the Latest Release of the Save as DAISY for Office 2010 Add-in

[Andrews, David B (DEED)]

From: support at daisy.org [mailto:support at daisy.org] On Behalf Of Varju Luceno
Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2011 3:56 PM
Subject: The DAISY Consortium Announces the Latest Release of the Save as DAISY for Office 2010 Add-in

The DAISY Consortium Announces the Latest Release of the Save as DAISY for Office 2010 Add-in

Building on DAISY Consortium’s collaboration with Microsoft, Save as DAISY for Office 2010 helps Microsoft Word
users convert Word Open XML files to the DAISY format.  The latest version supports Office 2003, 2007 and 2010.

“We want to provide people with print disabilities equal access to the same information,” says George Kerscher,
Secretary General of the DAISY Consortium. “The blind person needs a mechanism to navigate the page as quickly
as a sighted person.”

With the validation tools incorporated into Save as DAISY for Office 2010, users can convert a well-structured Word
file into a DAISY file set that automatically conforms to DAISY standards.   DAISY files aid readers with print disabilities,
as the text in DAISY XML is synchronized with synthetic-speech audio MP3 files that are generated by a speech
application programming interface available in the Windows operating system.

Save as DAISY for Office 2010 incorporates a "Lite" version of the DAISY Pipeline.  Users can select to generate the
DAISY XML for further processing, or they can generate a fully conforming DAISY file set with full navigation and full text
synchronized with audio. The audio is generated by the default text-to-speech (TTS) engine on users’ Windows
computer.

Save as DAISY add-in is a tool that document creators can use to easily convert their documents into multimedia
publications for people who are blind or have a print disability.  The add-in is available at no cost to users, helping to
meet the DAISY Consortium’s commitment to provide equal access to information for all members of society.

“Our work with the DAISY Consortium and Save as DAISY for Office 2010 are key elements of Microsoft’s ongoing
investment in accessibility” said Rob Sinclair, chief accessibility officer, Microsoft.  “Talking documents open up a world
of words for people with print disabilities at home, work and in the classroom.”

E-Learning Consultant Norm Coombs (EASI<http://easi.cc/>) shared: "In 1972 I published a history book, "Black Experience in America".
I wrote it on a typewriter, and being blind, made lots of typos. I had it edited and exchanged emails with the editor
till she was happy with the manuscript.  But, being in print, I couldn't read it myself!

In the late 1980s, I used a scanner and got an electronic version as a plain text file.  But 200 pages with no chapters
or headers was long and tedious. Eventually, I gave it away to Project Gutenberg which eventually had someone put
out a Web version including some chapters and headers.

With the arrival of the Save as DAISY add-in for Word, I had an inspiration. I used the 'cut and save' feature in Internet
Explorer and pasted it into Word, now I had a document with paragraphs, headers, and chapters providing basic navigation.
The add-in let me save a DAISY version which I now have on my pocket-sized DAISY reader. The document may not be
'publisher perfect', but I now can read my book in a format with chapters, headers and the ability to both skim and move
around as easily as if it were a print book!"

By being able to navigate content in the same way a sighted reader can, people with print disabilities can consume
information at the same speed as other people, making them more competitive in school and in business.

Download the Save as DAISY add-in from the DAISY Consortium website:
http://www.daisy.org/project/save-as-daisy-microsoft-word-add-in

Post your comments and feedback to the Save as DAISY add-in forum:
http://www.daisy.org/forums/save-as-daisy-microsoft


Kind regards,

Varju Luceno

Director of Communications
DAISY Consortium