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INDIAN DAISY INITIATIVES

By Dipendra Manocha

I was first introduced to DAISY In 1999 in Bangkok in UNESCAP meeting by Mr. Kawamura. Subsequently, at National Association for the Blind, New Delhi we made efforts to introduce Digital Talking Books in India. There are many challenges to introduce Digital Talking Books in a country like India:

1. Resources to upgrade talking book recording facility:
2. Training of existing human resource for shifting from analogue to digital recording facility:
3. adaptation of recording and playback tools for local languages
4. content preparation in 22 different languages
5. low cost playback devices for end users
6. low cost solution for transferring existing books of audio cassettes to digital format

Solutions implemented in India

In the year 2002, India Became Associate Member of the DAISY Consortium and in the year 2003, India was chosen as one of the resource centres for the DFA Project.

1. masters created in both digital and analogue formats: In year 2003 all new recording at NAB Delhi shifted from analogue to digital format. How ever, end users did not have players for digital talking books. Thus from the digital masters, analogue masters on audio cassettes were also produced. Since May, 2007, all master books are produced at NAB Delhi in digital format only and distribution on audio cassette has been stopped.
2. Low cost playback options: Saksham Trust, New Delhi introduced a scheme for distribution of MP3 CD Players to the members of talking book libraries at the cost of Rs. 400 per player. Under the DFA Project the AMIS software player was made available free of cost in local languages. Flash Memory based DAISY player is about to be completed which will cost about 100 USD. Speech software for mobile phones was made available in India at 1-3rd cost of its international cost. This became a useful tool for listening to digital books. Due to these measures, number of users of Digital Talking books is increasing rapidly.
3. DAISY Forum of India: 45 organisations from different parts of India have joined to create DAISY Forum of India. The forum is planning strategies to cover all states of the country and to ensure that content in all languages of India are produced. Several member organizations are helping in conducting DAISY Seminars in states where daisy has not reached. A committee in the forum has been formed to deal with the copy right law and publisher’s relations. Training programmes are also conducted for members who are joining DAISY Forum of India.
4. Training of Human Resource: Persons from India have attended various Digital Talking Book Trainings including International Trainer’s training. Thus now training in India is conducted in local languages by the Indian trainers. Resource Centre at NAB Delhi is capable to conduct DAISY Training of any level for up to 15 persons at a time. Fully functional production centre ensures availability of good number of resource persons at all times. Excellent trainers are now also available in different parts of India.
5. Low cost cassette to digital talking book transferring facility: New Delhi Resource centre developed a low cost system for transferring of audio materials recorded on audio cassettes to the computer to be create DAISY Digital Talking Books. 4 times speed of audio transfer is possible using this system using equipment of just 200 USD.

As a result of these efforts

• Complete syllabus of senior classes of school are now available in DAISY Digital Talking Book format.
• DAISY Forum of India is moving towards issues such as amendment in the copy rights law, Production of university and school level text books for every state in every Indian language, etc.
• Distribution of CD players and DAISY players to students by government of India and non-government agencies at subsidized cost.
• Software and hardware development for recording and playback of digital talking books.
• Providing support services to all South Asian and now also in Central Asian countries.