Innovative Solutions - Daisy Lanka Foundation (DLF)

June 21, 2017

In Sri Lanka, the DAISY Lanka Foundation (DLF) is using innovative solutions to break down barriers for students who are print disabled in acquiring books.

With the support of the Accessible Books Consortium (ABC) and generous funding provided by the Government of Australia, DLF was able to convert over 1,000 educational books into accessible formats in one year, an incredible accomplishment considering that conventionally only around 100-200 books are usually  produced over the same period.

The difference is due to the agreement by commercial publishers in Sri Lanka to provide the DAISY Lanka Foundation with the electronic files of previously produced books. Traditionally, charitable organizations and NGOs have had to scan every page of hard copy books using OCR technology and then edit the scanned files to make them accessible.

In addition, organizations have conventionally used human narrators to record audio books. Both of these processes are resource intensive. Using the original electronic files provided by commercial publishers, the DLF was also able to convert books into accessible audible formats more efficiently and economically.

Our goal is to create a future where all visually impaired students can comfortably acquire and benefit from textbooks on every subject and persons with all disabilities can lead independent, barrier-free lives.