JOINT TECHNOLOGY TASK FORCE (JTTF): ELECTRONIC FILE FORMAT ANALYSIS

The following information appears on web pages of the AFB Solutions Forum and is used with permission.

A critical project from the Electronic Files and Research and Development Work Group is the Joint Technology Task Force (JTTF). The JTTF began on June 15, 2000 inWashington, D.C. when AFB, Association of American Publishers (AAP), and Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D) brought publishers and the technology specialists in the field of blindness together to discuss new technologies and the capabilities foradvanced electronic file conversion that allows greater accessibility to both the visually impaired community and general user of eBooks. At this historic meeting, topicsdiscussed included the development of a cross-platform standard for electronic files, dual stream publishing (both print and eBook), synchronized audio and text, and how organizations serving people with disabilities can work together with innovativepublishers.

There are two main goals of the JTTF:

1. To analyze the National Information Standards Organization (NISO) Extensible Markup Language (XML) file format to determine its suitability for converting textbook content into braille and other accessible formats.
2. To promote and demonstrate to accessible book producers and braille transcribers the efficiency and benefits of using publishers' files in ANSI/NISO XML format.

Stakeholders in this effort have expertise in Extensible Markup Language (XML), which is used for all modern IT systems. The Digital Audio-Based Information System (DAISY) Consortium and the National Information Standards Organization (NISO) both use the XML notation. The DAISY/NISO XML 3.0 Document Type Definition (DTD) is used to define markup for textbooks. The structure guidelines of DAISY clarifies the usage for braille applications and for Digital Talking Books (DTB). In addition, expertise is from braille software developers, publishers of textbooks and expert users of brailletranslation software with publishers' electronic files.

Stakeholders include: American Foundation for the Blind; American Printing House for the Blind; Association of American Publishers (with Harcourt, Houghton Mifflin, McGraw Hill, Pearson, and Scholastic); Braille Authority of North America; Computer Application Specialities Company; Duxbury Systems, Inc.; National Braille Association; National Braille Press; National Library Service; Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic; Texas Education Agency's producers of alternate formats (Education Service Center, Region 20, Region IV Education Service Center and Visual Aid Volunteers); and TechAdapt.

A listserv was established and meetings were held in September 2000 and during the AAP School Division's Annual Meeting on January 17, 2001 in Austin, Texas. The group meets quarterly to share the progress made with the various objectives.

For more information contact George Kerscher (RFB&D) at 406-549-4687 or at kerscher@montana.com.