Funding Proposal

by the Technology Subgroup of the Stakeholders’ Platform

Overview

The mainstream production of accessible publications requires standard technological processes and systems. Particular concern must be given to approaches that will work internationally, and especially in the developing world where publishers do not often have the financial means to convert either their processes or systems. WIPO can be instrumental in ensuring that standards are developed at an international level to meet global needs. It can also ensure that their use is promoted in developed and developing countries.

Proposal

The stakeholders’ platform has jointly tasked us with creation of an enabling technological framework to increase publications accessible to people living with print disabilities. We seek total funding of 225,000 Euros (75,000 Euros for 3 years) to support this work.

The money will enable the two key international standards bodies working in this area to focus dedicated resource to supporting the work of the stakeholders’ platform. The standards bodies are the DAISY consortium and EDItEUR. These two bodies are complementary as DAISY focuses on the development and promotion of standards and technologies which enable equal access to information and knowledge by people with print disabilities and EDItEUR focuses on the development, promotion, and implementation of electronic standards throughout the publishing supply chain.

In year 1 of this project DAISY and EDItEUR will work together to:

  • Publish international guidelines for production staff in publishing houses. These guidelines will introduce the strategic reasons for publishers to produce more accessible works, and propose simple, practical changes to both the traditional and electronic production processes to achieve this goal.
  • Further develop the DAISY open source pipeline production tool to enable it to work with any technological framework. This could be implemented by publishers who have not yet developed an electronic production process, or to enhance existing process management tools). This open source software will be especially helpful in the developing world.
  • Modify ONIX for Books 3.0 to carry XML messages throughout the book supply chain about available accessible formats; and identify any required modifications to other supply chain communication standards.
  • Identify, and develop proposals to fix, any gaps in supply chains for accessible formats. This will include the international supply chains to commercial booksellers, libraries, and trusted intermediaries.

In years 2 and 3 of the project DAISY and EDItEUR will work together to:

  • Market the guidelines produced in year 1, and offer training about their correct implementation. This work will be co-ordinated via publishing trade bodies and national standards bodies throughout the world.
  • Support the use of the DAISY pipeline tool, particularly by international publishers and by key software and system developers.
  • Develop solutions to supply chain gaps identified in year 1 including liaison with key software and system developers.
  • Recommend approaches to identifying those titles that are available in an accessible format, and what that format is, no matter where in the world the file is located.

The project will report regularly to the Stakeholder Platform and to WIPO itself. DAISY and EDItEUR will also liaise with trusted intermediaries in the disability community to help automate certain processes and systems in use in that network.

 

Stakeholders