NAIIV-NET

The Biggest Information Network for the Visually Handicapped People in Japan

URL: https://www.naiiv.gr.jp/

KANEKO Kenichi
The director of NAIIV-NET
Nippon Lighthouse
Technical Center of the Tactual Information
Osaka, JAPAN

1 AN INTRODUCTION TO NAIIV-NET

We, the Japan Council of 92 institutions and organizations are managing an Information Network for visually handicapped people, which we call the NAIIV-NET. NAIIV is an acronym for "National Association of Institutions of Information Service for the Visually Handicapped".

At this point in time, 4400 visually handicapped people and 186 organization members have participated in this network. The braille library, volunteers, the public library, the university, etc. are included among the 186 members. Members that participate in this network can use 75,000 titles of braille data and a list of at least 365,000 titles of braille books and talking books.

2 SERVICE PROVIDED TO VISUALLY HANDICAPPED PERSONS BY NAIIV-NET

This is an image of what the member's top page of NAIIV-NET looks like.

Figure 1: The member's top page

This page is a window that provides service to visually handicapped people. It shows notes, functions such as searching and downloads, and popular books.

• Search and download the braille data from the homepage of NAIIV-NET.
• Online requests of braille or talking books owned by libraries.

2.1 Search and download the braille data from the homepage of NAIIV-NET.

The user can input a title and an author name and can search for the target books. An example of a search-results page is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Search-results page

The search-results page provides the following information: list number of applicable books, type of data, NDC, title, author, and the organization, which registered. On this page, book No. 14 which has a "basket" mark "" can download the contents of the book as braille data.

Figure 3 shows the braille data downloaded from NAIIV-NET with braille edit software.

Figure 3: Braille data downloaded from NAIIV-NET

The user can immediately read the downloaded braille data with their braille display or screen reader.

2.2 Online request of braille or talking books owned by libraries

The user can request mailing of direct books from the following pages.

Figure 4: Mailing request page

On a mailing request page we find the list number of applicable books, organization that registered the book, state of completion, state of download, owner, possibility for request, and other information, which is shown in a list. Shortly after the user pushes the request button, mail processing of applicable books begins.

First, this request is transmitted to the braille library frequented by the user. Next, the braille library outs in a loan request to the library, which possesses the target book. Next, the possession library mails the target book to the braille library, which received the request from the user. Finally, the braille library mails the user the target book. Figure 5 shows processing after the user requests until the target book actually arrives.

Figure 5: Online request

Of course, both the braille library and the library, which receives a loan request, are members of the NAIIV-NET organization and each library has made an agreement to make mutual loans.

The activity of the organization member of NAIIV-NET described below.

• Create braille data, and record books for blind members to use.
• Upload the braille data to NAIIV-NET.
• Register a list of recorded books to NAIIV-NET.
• Download braille data from NAIIV-NET in response to requests of blind members and give them either braille printouts or floppy disks.
• Search the list of braille or talking books owned by other libraries in response to requests of blind members, and then lending them the books.

Each organization is performs only the activities that are possible for them. For example, there may be an organization member that performs only the loan of a book or there may be an organization member, which specializes in creating recorded books.

3 Use of NAIIV-NET

Figure 6 shows, for the past five years, the number of visually handicapped members, the number of organization members.

Figure 6: The State of Use 1

Figure 7 shows, for the past five years, the number of accesses to the member's top page, the number of times of that braille data has been download, and the number of times that an online request was made.

(1) The number of times by which the member passed and logged on to the member page
(2) The number of times of that braille data has been download
(3) The number of times to that an online request was made

Figure 7: The State of Use 2

Figure 8 shows the number of braille books and talking books, and the number of braille data titles, which were registered into NAIIV-NET over the past 5 years.

Figure 8: Registration Situation

4 Future deployment

Although this is a desirable thing, the frequency of use of this network is increasing every year. Addition of hardware increases in connection with this, and the necessity for an upgrade is imminent. An advanced system is being prepared to begin service in April, 2007.

At present, this network does not allow for the distribution of data of recorded books represented by the "Daisy". The distribution, therefore, of recording data based on cooperation with other organizations is being considered.

A difficult obstacle is the use of personal computers by visually handicapped people. Support is needed so that as many visually impaired persons as possible can have use of a personal computer, and we also have to try hard to get people to become members of NAIIV-NET.