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Microsoft and the DAISY Consortium have announced a joint standards-based development project to help computer users who are blind or print-disabled make better use of assistive technology. This open technical collaboration project, to be freely available on SourceForge.net in early 2008, will provide a Microsoft Office Word plug-in that translates Open XML-based documents into DAISY XML.

DAISY, short for the "Digital Accessible Information System," was formed in May 1996 by talking book libraries to lead the worldwide transition from analog to Digital Talking Books. Nearly 70 non-profit organizations make up the Consortium, and actively promote the DAISY Standard for Digital Talking Books. The DAISY Specification defines the format and content of the electronic file set that comprises a digital talking book (DTB) and establishes a limited set of requirements for DTB playback devices.

The structure within DAISY publications makes it possible to navigate quickly by heading or page number and to use indexes and references, all with correctly ordered, synchronized audio and text. In addition to clear benefits for the print-disabled community, the Open XML-to-DAISY XML translator also offers the potential for further innovation in the information-intensive markets of publishing, training and education.

Open XML is currently supported on platforms ranging from Linux and Windows to Mac OS and the Palm OS. Third parties interested in creating their own Open XML-to-DAISY XML translators can find the project on SourceForge.

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