Braille Production System

Background

Since January 2007, the production of any text enabled media at TPB and The National Agency for Special Needs Education and Schools, SPSM, involves creating, editing and transforming a DTBook master file. Consequently, adjustments must be made to the production chain at TBP/SPSM.

The majority of all Braille in Sweden is produced for TBP/SPSM by independent contractors, most of whom use Braillo or Index printers. Documents are prepared using the software CX.

Problem

Braille production today relies heavily on small businesses and proprietary or ad hoc file formats. This makes integration with DTBook difficult, inefficient and risky.

Shifting production to DTBook is a big step in the right direction, but even DTBook can't fully express everything you need to know to produce high quality Braille.

Project outline

In order to solve these issues, we believe that two new file formats are needed: one whose purpose is to facilitate the editing requirements of Braille production and one to digitally secure the ready-to-print original for use anywhere in the world.

Braille Editable Format (BEF)

Our view on editing for Braille production is that an extension to DTBook is sufficient. The properties of this extension are yet to be explored. However, one obvious requirement of BEF is that it must be automatically convertible into Braille (using input parameters like paper size, etc).

Braille Print Format (BPF)

BPF is a printer and locale independent representation of Braille print. Although it must be independent of any particular manufacturer, easy translation into any Braille printer protocol is important.

Timetable

1. January 2006 - June 2006: Specification for BPF.
2. June 2006 - January 2007: Development of a DTBook to BPF software
3. January 2007 - January 2008: Specification for BEF
4. January 2008 - January 2009: BEF support is incorporated in the DTBook to BPF software

Current status

Braille Print Format (BPF)

The format has been specified and BPF-files can be produced using the software CX.

Braille in Daisy

This project is currently on hold in an effort to bring these issues to a Daisy Consortium project called "Braille in Daisy".