DAISY, which stands for Digital Accessible Information System, is a set of standards developed to make written materials such as books more accessible to people with print disabilities. DAISY provides a way to create digital talking books for those who want to hear — and navigate — written material presented in an audible format, according to DAISYpedia, the website of the organization that produces this technology.

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Many people have print disabilities including blindness, impaired vision, dyslexia or other issues, and DAISY tries to help them overcome those disabilities by allowing them to listen to books and easily navigate talking-book websites.

History and Background

The DAISY Consortium, founded in 1996, is an international organization that develops, maintains, and promotes standards and technologies designed to provide all people with equal access to information. The group developed DAISY for persons who have limitations that make it difficult or impossible to read standard print, including those who are blind or visually impaired, have cognitive dysfunctions such as dyslexia, as well as limited motor skills making it hard to hold a book or turn pages.

Completed audio books or articles will be converted and transferred to “General Knowledge Hotline” 1414 which is a free service for the blind to listen to audio books on the phone. At present, creating the audio books is still limited in production and need to transport for voice recording at the physical studio. Talking Books are also available by digital download, and we also have a range of titles available to buy from our online shop Sign up to Talking Books for free through one of the following options Fill out our library registration form.

'DAISY offers versatility by providing navigation that goes well beyond the plain text navigation used in the first electronic books for the blind,' says the National Federation of the Blind, the nation's largest advocacy group for vision-impaired people.

Listening Books distributes pure, undiluted pleasure and friendship. Listening Books members can download thousands of fantastic titles to an iPod or other portable player! Audio Samples. Talking Books are recorded materials—most often books or magazines—in audio formats provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped that are available on free loan to people who are blind, visually impaired, or otherwise unable to read or use standard printed materials. The Open Library team has been working very hard to create a fantastic way to bring books to the blind and print disabled. There will be over 1 million books available free in the open-source DAISY format with more to come.

Talking Books are audio books provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS). For over 75 years this division of the Library of Congress has produced Talking Books. Today, thousands of books and current magazines are recorded each year and distributed through a network of lending libraries. Feb 28, 2019 - About BARD. The BARD program is the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped's free digital book download service.

Multiple Formats

DAISY comes in a number of forms, but the full audiobook is the simplest. It consists of audio that has been prerecorded either by a human reader or through text-to-speech technology.

Digitized words can be quickly transmitted via the Web and accessed on many types of assistive devices. For example, a DAISY audio book can be played on a computer or mobile device using software or a screen reader or on a player such as the Victor Reader Stream. The text can also be enlarged for those with low vision or converted into Braille for embossing (printing) or reading on a refreshable display.

Embedded Navigation

The main advantage is that DAISY books have embedded navigation that enables readers to instantly jump to any part of a work—the same way a sighted person can turn to any page. With DAISY, the text is delineated with tags, such as part, chapter, page, and paragraph, and synced with the audio files. Readers can navigate through this hierarchy using the tab key or other player control.

Other advantages DAISY books offer include word search, spell check, and the ability to place electronic bookmarks on key passages and navigate back to them on future readings.

Accessing DAISY Books

The largest providers of DAISY audio books include Bookshare.org, Learning Ally, and the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS). People with qualifying print disabilities can apply and access books from these sources for free. Readers download BookShare and Learning Ally content via the Web to a computer or mobile device. The NLS provides free digital players and, through its BARD program, makes some books available for download.

To comply with copyright laws, Learning Ally and NLS books are encrypted to limit their access to those with documented print disabilities.

Playing DAISY Talking Books

To play DAISY books, you must either install special software on a computer or mobile device or use a DAISY-compatible player. The most popular software that supports the DAISY format includes:

• AMIS (Adaptive Multimedia Information System), an open-source self-voicing player for Windows that works with several screen readers
• Android Daisy ePub Reader
• Daisy Delight, an open-source player for Mac OS and Unix-based systems
• DaisyWorm, for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
• MAX the DAISY, a free player for Microsoft Windows
• Read2Go, a mobile app for Mac iOS devices
• Read OutLoud Bookshare Edition (free for Bookshare members) for Mac OS and Windows.

The most popular DAISY playback devices include:

• Victor Reader Stream: a handheld portable DAISY player produced by HumanWare

Talking Books are audiobook produced for print-disabled readers by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), a division of the Library of Congress.

Unlike commercial audiobooks one might download from vendors such as Audible.com, Talking Books can only be played on special equipment that the NLS provides free to qualified borrowers.

Talking Books are designed for persons unable to read standard print due to a physical or cognitive impairment. The program was originally launched to help blind people but has long been a vital reading resource for people with learning disabilities such as dyslexia and for those who lack the motor skills or dexterity to hold a printed book.

How Did the NLS Talking Book Program Start?

In 1931, President Hoover signed the Pratt-Smoot Act, giving the Library of Congress $100,000 to emboss braille books for blind adults. The program quickly expanded to include books recorded onto vinyl records - the first Talking Books. The books were later recorded on reel-to-reel and cassette tapes and flexible vinyl disks. Today, Talking Books are produced on small, digital cartridges. The cartridges can also be used to transfer downloaded books from a computer to the special player.

Why Do Talking Books Require a Special Player?

The special players protect an author's copyright by restricting this free book access to those with disabilities and preventing duplication. To accomplish this, Talking Book disks were recorded at slower speeds (8 rpm) unavailable on standard turntables; cassettes were recorded on four tracks at faster speeds; the new digital books are encrypted.

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Who Records Talking Books?

Most Talking Books are recorded by professional narrators in the studios of the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville, Kentucky.

Who's Eligible to Receive Talking Books?

The main eligibility requirement is a disability such as blindness, dyslexia, or ALS that renders one unable to read standard print. Any US resident (or citizen living abroad) with a print disability can apply to their state or regional NLS network library. Along with an application, one must provide disability documentation from a certifying authority, such as a physician, ophthalmologist, occupational therapist, or rehabilitation counselor. Once approved, members can begin receiving Talking Books and magazines in special formats such as braille, cassette, and digitized text.

What Subjects Do Talking Books Cover?

The NLS Talking Book collection has about 80,000 titles. Books are selected based on broad appeal. They include contemporary fiction (in all forms and genres), nonfiction, biographies, how-tos, and classics. Most New York Times bestsellers become Talking Books. The NLS adds about 2,500 new titles each year.

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How Do I Find, Order, and Return Talking Books?

The NLS announces new titles in its bimonthly publications, 'Talking Book Topics' and 'Braille Book Review.' Users can also search for books by author, title, or keyword using the NLS online catalog. To have books mailed to you, request titles by phone or email from your network library, providing the book's five-digit identification number that appears on every print and online annotation. Talking Books are mailed as 'Free Matter for the Blind.' To return books, flip the address card on the container and drop them in the mail. There is no postage fee.

How Do You Use the New MLS Digital Talking Book Player?

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The new NLS digital Talking Books are small, plastic rectangles that are about the size of a standard cassette tape. They have a round hole at one end; the other end slides into a slot at the bottom front of the player. When inserted, the book starts playing immediately. The digital format enables readers to navigate quickly among a book's chapters and sections. The tactile control buttons are intuitive; the player also has a built-in audio user guide.