Combining Web Services and DAISY for the Production and Delivery of Audio Tactile Diagrams

In recent years audio tactile diagrams have emerged as a viable method of providing blind learners with access to diagrammatical material. It has proven beneficial, but obstacles remain to its widespread adoption, especially in situations where a teacher may not be skilled in tactile production. Current approaches to audio tactile production contain limitations in various areas namely reusability, producer support and interoperability. This paper discusses the Audio Tactile Construction and Delivery Framework (ATCDF), which is a service based approach for the production and delivery of audio tactile diagrams. The approach separates audio tactile diagrams into their component parts, which are then stored independently of one another in repositories. The content in the repositories can be searched for, retrieved and reused independently of one another. Completed audio tactiles can be exported for delivery using the DAISY 3 standard, forming a DAISY based audio tactile. The approach has benefits in areas of reusability, interoperability and producer support.