Creating DAISY Content with Word 2007 and “Save-as-DAISY” plug-in

1. Creating DAISY Content with Word 2007 and “Save-as-DAISY” plug-in Amy Salmon, Hadley School for the Blind Korey Singleton, GMU Assistive Technology Initiative AER Virginia Conference March 3rd-5th, 2010

2. Today’s Agenda • Introductions – Amy & Korey • Brief overview of DAISY • Overview of how to install “Save-As-DAISY” plug-in into MS Word 2007 • Overview/demonstration of creating content using MS Word and “Save-As-DAISY” plug-in. • Overview/demonstration of AMIS DAISY-playback software • Content created through MS Word 2007 and “Save-As-DAISY” plug-in will be read • Accessing DAISY content through Hadley website. • Where can I get DAISY books? • Question/Answer

3. What is DAISY? • Stands for Digital Accessible Information SYstem • It is a standard for producing accessible and navigable multimedia documents. • DAISY Consortium founded in May 1996 • www.daisy.org

4. Why DAISY? • To lead the worldwide transition from analogue to Digital Talking Books (DTBs) • To produce written materials in digital voice output format • To provide a structure for easy navigation • To provide print disabled readers access to more written information • To ensure talking books produced anywhere can be played anywhere around the world • Deriving large print and Braille versions of books from the same files which comprise a DAISY digital talking book – The single master file concept for alternative format information – Duxbury Braille Translator now supports this

5. DAISY book components • Wave or MP3 audio source files • NCX or NCC.HTML Navigation control file • SMIL (pronounced "smile"), the Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language W3C recommended XML markup language for describing multimedia presentations. • A textual content file (XML) containing some or all of the text of the book with appropriate markup

6. What is XML? XML - eXtensible Markup Language • Designed to carry data, not to display data like HTML • XML provides the producer with the ability to structure a DTB book in great detail. Compared to HTML markup, XML increases markup options and makes more detailed structure and proper nesting possible.

7. Types of DAISY Books The DAISY Standard allows the producing agency full flexibility regarding the mix of text and audio ranging from: • Type 1: Full audio with Title element only • Type 2: Full audio with Navigation Center (NCC or NCX) only • Type 3: Full audio with Navigation Center and partial text • Type 4: Full audio and full text • Type 5: Full text and some audio • Type 6: Text and no audio

8. Ways to listen to DAISY files • Stand alone DAISY Players • Computer playback software • Mobile phones • MP3 players - limited navigation

9. DAISY (text and audio) books DAISY Allows for identification of elements of print books to enable navigation within a DAISY book • Table of contents • Chapters • Headings • Index • Footnotes • Side-bars • Full Text search

10. DAISY (text and audio) books cont… Examples of features: • Font size and font colors • Software menu can accommodate multiple languages • Background colors and contrast • Playback speed and pitch • Highlighting of text while playing back • Bookmarking • CD/DVD can store up to 4.5 GB of book information • No need for multiple volumes

11. Save-As-DAISY plug-in for MS Word • MS “Save as DAISY” Plug-In (authoring tool) • Plug-in allows the user to create DAISY DTBooks from MS Word documents. You can select to generate the DAISY XML for further processing, or you 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 your Windows computer. • Pros • Free • Allows the user to create their own DAISY DTBook out of one document or several documents • Easy to use • Most current version (v2.1.1), released Dec. 2009 • Works with major screen readers (i.e., Jaws, WindowEyes, Hal/Supernova) • Supported in Word XP, 2003, and 2007 • Cons • Only creates DAISY 3.0 books. This is an issue for individuals using devices that only play DAISY 2.02 books (e.g., Victor Wave)

12. Downloading & Installing plug-in file • Download plug-in file from DAISY website . Fairly straightforward; file will install an ‘Accessibility’ tab in the MS Word ribbon toolbar. • During installation, it is recommended that user be connected to Internet. Installation requires components from MS Word 2007 compatibility pack (if using Word XP or 2003), latest Java updates, MS Word Primary Interop Assemblies (PIA), and .Net framework 3.0 for proper installation. The files are rather large, so it is best that it be a broadband connection and not dial-up.

13. Downloading & Installing plug-in file cont… • Confirmation Procedure After Installation is complete After the set up is complete user can confirm that the installation is successful by following the steps given below: • Open a new word document • Click on Office button or hit Alt + F key • Press down-arrow to ensure “Save As DAISY” appears in the menu • Press Alt key to access ribbon tabs and ensure Accessibility tab appears in the menu

14. Creating a Digital Talking Book (Demo) • Start with a short document (3-5 pages) with some structure to it for practice • Important: Use styles to identify different components in the document. Automatic generation of footnotes, paragraphs…most of styles in MS Word are mapped in DAISY • e.g., Title, headings - Headings should be nested properly. • Think of it in terms of how you would lay out an outline….Roman numeral ‘I’, then ‘A’, then ‘1’, then lowercase ‘a’ • Highlight 1st heading, press Control + Alt + 1 for heading 1

15. Creating a Digital Talking Book cont… • Acronyms and Abbreviations – allows you to accurately identify acronyms and abbreviations • e.g., IBM should be pronounced “I-B-M”, St. should be pronounced “street” • MP3 bit rate should be 32, 48, or 64. Higher the rate, the better the quality. Also means that file is larger. • Automatic (uses automatic pagination that MS Word uses) or custom page-numbering • Important: There is a known problem with this feature – If there is a page break in MS Word, then there needs to be text directly after the page break. This ensures that pagination works as intended

16. Creating a Digital Talking Book cont… • Validator will do automatic check of document to see if it finds any problems. (E.g., if you have ‘Heading 1’ followed by ‘Heading 4’) • Save as .docx file (Word 2007) • Save as DAISY features (DAISY XML or full-text/full-audio) • DAISY XML (from Single docx): This sub menu will translate word2007 format to “DAISY XML” format. • Full DAISY (from Single docx): This sub menu will show a sub menu “DAISYPipelineTTSNarrator” which will translate word 2007 to “DAISY DTBook”. • DAISY XML (from Multiple docx): This sub menu will translate a group of documents into a single “DAISY XML” format. • Full DAISY (from Multiple docx): This sub menu will show a sub menu “DAISYPipelineTTSNarrator” which will translate group of documents to “DAISY DTBook”.

17. DTBs using MS Word • Method supports mathematics • Design Science has MathType application. They have provided a COM add-in to DAISY consortium, where it will properly convert MathML for incorporation into the DAISY talking books created with MS Word and “Save As DAISY” plug-in. • What kind of DAISY book is produced? • Output is DAISY 3 publication • Any players that support DAISY 3 will work with output files; some of older players do not support DAISY 3, like the Victor Wave, others may just need firmware upgrades.

18. Demo – AMIS Playback software

19. Free & Available Software • AMIS player • FS Reader (also comes on PacMate) • ButterCupReader – Online DTB player • VictorSoft (free with BookShare.org)

20. Hardware Playback devices • Portable Notetakers • FS Reader (on PacMate) • Built-in software on BrailleNote • CD-playback devices • Victor Reader Classic • Portable Devices • Victor Reader Stream • BookSense • Plextor Pocket

21. Where else can I get DAISY Books? • Bookshare, www.bookshare.org • DAISY 3 text file • Talking book format (DTB) • Various voice-out methods (reading software, reading devices, screen readers) • BRF (Braille Refreshable Format) • Hard copy embossing • Refreshable Braille devices

22. Where else can I get DAISY Books? • National Library Service, www.loc.gov/nls/reference/factsheets/webbraille.html • Web-Braille Available Information • Many books are in Braille • Some music scores are available. • All Braille magazines are available. • Where to locate books • Online Catalog: www.loc.gov/nls/catalog • Keyword search (title, author, or subject) • User ID/password (download protection)

23. Where else can I get DAISY Books? • Braille Book Review:www.loc.gov/nls/bbr • Links are setup for incoming books • Can search here for new books • NLS Web-Braille • In what format are the files? • All files are format in contracted Braille (ASCII-computer Braille) • Each file contains one volume • Each volume contains a BR number • All files on Web-Braille are .brf files • Web-Braille files may be read online or downloaded for viewing offline or embossing with a braille display, braille-aware notetaker, or braille embosser.

24. Where else can I get DAISY Books? • Recordings for the Blind & Dyslexic, www.rfbd.org • File Format • Audio textbook files: Windows Media Player • Audio DAISY files • DAISY CD • Downloadable DAISY files (.zip) • Downloadable WMA files (linear audio) • RFB&D: Member Benefits • Free access to large audio book library • Human-narrated with description of images • 24/7 online member services • Various downloadable formats

25. Where else can I get DAISY Books? • Hadley’s DTB program • Human voicing with built-in navigation • Online webinar in next 2-3 months (downloading from BART)

26. Questions Questions??

27. References… • DAISY Standards (PDF file) • DAISY Implementations, Tools and Utilities • Save As DAISY – Microsoft Word add-in • Audio file of ‘How to download, install, and use Save As DAISY add-in for Microsoft Word (MP3) • AMIS software DAISY player • ButterCupReader – Online Digital Talking Book player • National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped • Recordings for the Blind & Dyslexic • Hadley School for the Blind • Bookshare