Digitization Of The Book: A Report On Present Trends

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• Access Technology
  • 4.1 Refreshable Braille Displays
  • 4.2 Synthesized Speech
• User Requirements

Access Technology

Access technology gives print handicapped readers the means to access digital information independently. It has the potential to decrease the need for alternate format materials, because a print handicapped reader who is equipped with a computer and adaptive equipment will have access to the many sources of digital information that are available to sighted people such as the Internet, multimedia CD-ROM books, and ASCII text files. Alternate format producers must have an understanding of access technology, because the tools for reading digital information have an impact on the design and production of alternate formats.

4.1 Refreshable Braille Displays

A refreshable braille display is a device that is mounted beneath a standard computer keyboard, which displays braille cells through a 40 or 80 character grid. Each time the cursor is moved to a new line the dots reconfigure to represent the current line of text on the computer. The greatest challenge in using a braille display is that the reader can only view one line at a time, so it can be awkward to scan a page of text. Currently, braille displays are prohibitively expensive, approximately eight thousand dollars for a 40 character unit, however as with all technology the prices are expected to gradually decrease.

4.2 Synthesized Speech

Until recently, most synthesized speech programs have been developed in English speaking countries for the English language. For many other languages speech synthesis is not well developed and consequently there is great variation in the quality of synthesis of many languages. For example, both inflection and restrictive phonetic capacity are problematic for languages such as Swedish or Danish. Alternately, research and development of synthetic speech for the Chinese language have advanced rapidly over the past several years.

It is agreed by many audio book readers that a major benefit of synthetic speech is that it provides a user with access to a significantly greater range and quantity of information. If data is in electronic format it can be accessed this way. However, the best software available today does not produce speech comparable to human speech. In addition, the cost of the access equipment is, for some, potentially prohibitive. As the technology improves the 'product', and as prices decrease, the number of print handicapped readers who utilize this technology will increase.

User Requirements

Needs assessment studies conducted by blindness organizations all over the world confirm that the expectations of those with a print disability are changing. For the first time in the history of man a print handicap need no longer be a barrier to information, and the information gap between those who are sighted and those who are blind or visually impaired can be significantly reduced. A survey of CNIB Library clients in 1995 indicated that 8% of these readers would prefer to receive their magazines in a digital format rather than on cassette or in hardcopy braille. Fifteen years ago, blind and visually impaired students and library clients were grateful to get whatever they could on audio cassette or in braille. Usually, the single course textbook delivered in sections and often late had to suffice. Supplementary readings were rarely made available and library research materials rarer still.

User needs were the focus of a Conference on the "Next Generation Talking Book" held in January 25-26 in Copenhagen. In his paper "Talking Books in the (near) Future" Mr. Jaap van Lelieveld described user needs in relation to 'groups of users' and technology. As part of his research, he surveyed potential users over the Internet. Highlights of some of the responses from around the world illustrate the broad range and variety of formats which are favoured, from audio recording to electronic text, and emphasize not only the importance of the human voice for quality but also the willingness to compromise on this quality in the interest of faster access to material. The fact that so many individuals responded to this survey on the Internet, indicates a growing, sophisticated experiential knowledge of evolving information technologies and a fluency with computer and access technology including the Internet. (See the Appendix).

The result of these studies demonstrate that there is a need for change and the need is not only about equitable access to the same library and information services as the sighted population, but also about using technology to improve access to the content of books. For example, advances in digital technology have redefined access to include access to the contents of audio books for searching and reference purposes.