[PDFlist] New ABC partnership with Dolphin

Sat Jan 20 08:04:30 +12 2024

Dear All,

Please see a news item announcing the Accessible Books Consortium (ABC) new
partnership with Dolphin. Note, although this news is publicized now, the
ABC catalogue won't be ready to be accessed via Easy Reader for a few months
yet.

M

Martine Abel-Williamson - WIPO ABC representative on behalf of Blind
Citizens NZ

Ref.:
https://www.accessiblebooksconsortium.org/w/news/2024/abc-catalogue-to-go-fu
lly-mobile-with-dolphin-easyreader-app

ABC Catalogue to Go Fully Mobile with Dolphin EasyReader App

January 16, 2024

An exciting new partnership between WIPO's Accessible Books Consortium (ABC)
and Dolphin Computer Access forges a path to make the ABC catalogue
available to persons who are print-disabled directly on their device of
choice.

Through this new agreement with Dolphin, a UK-based software developer
specialized in accessibility, the ABC catalogue will be made available in
the upcoming months for readers who are blind, have low vision, are dyslexic
or have mobility impairments that impact their ability to read the printed
word through the Dolphin EasyReader application.

Martine Abel-Williamson speaking at WIPO.
(Image: WIPO/Violaine Martin)

This ground-breaking collaboration between ABC and Dolphin is not just
opening a door to a vast world of literature; it is ensuring that this door
is wide open and easily accessible. This collaboration is a testament to our
collective commitment to breaking down barriers in accessing information,
allowing those who are blind or partially sighted to seamlessly connect with
a wealth of resources essential for education, employment, and personal
growth.

Martine Abel-Williamson, President, World Blind Union and Member of the ABC
Advisory Board.

This new integration will allow users to search, download and read books
from the ABC catalogue all within a single contained environment. Dolphin
EasyReader App has specialized accessibility features to ensure that this is
a straightforward and comfortable experience for the reader.

Dolphin EasyReader App. (Image: Dolphin Computer Access)

The  <https://www.accessiblebooksconsortium.org/w/news/2021/news_0006>
launch of the ABC Beneficiary Application in 2021 made it possible for ABC's
partner libraries to give access to the ABC catalogue to their
print-disabled patrons through this new web application. Since then, the ABC
Beneficiary Application continues to grow and as of January 2024 it offers a
catalogue of more than 400,000 accessible books to people who are print
disabled in 22 countries, through 30 participating libraries for the blind,
known as authorized entities.

To view the ABC catalogue of accessible format books through Dolphin
EasyReader App, persons who are print disabled must inquire with their own
institutions. The list of authorized entities that currently offer the ABC
Beneficiary Application to their patrons can be found
<https://www.abcglobalbooks.org/contact> on our contact page.

Bolstered by an ever-growing worldwide network of authorized entities
serving the print disabled, the ABC catalogue has come to form one of the
world's largest collections of books in accessible digital formats.

Background

According to a  <https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(17)30293-0> 2017 study
published in The Lancet, approximately 253 million people are blind or
visually impaired world-wide. Nearly 90% of these are resident in developing
countries, where the World Blind Union (WBU) estimates that people who are
blind have only a one in ten chance of going to school or getting a job. A
lack of accessible books remains a very real barrier to getting an education
and leading an independent, productive life.

About Dolphin Computer Access

Dolphin is a global leader in assistive technology, dedicated to empowering
individuals with vision impairments and other print disabilities. With a
37-year legacy, Dolphin's innovative solutions promote independent reading
and accessibility. 

Dolphin Computer Access develops assistive technology products to improve
accessibility and independence for people who are blind or partially
sighted. The Dolphin product range includes screen reading and screen
magnification software. Dolphin also develops technology that enables
independent reading for people with vision impairments, neurodiversity, and
other print disabilities. Dolphin EasyReader App connects readers to
accessible libraries around the world, to make books and reading accessible
to more people.

 <https://yourdolphin.com/> Find out more about Dolphin Computer Access.

About ABC

The  <https://www.accessiblebooksconsortium.org/portal/index> Accessible
Books Consortium (ABC) is a public-private partnership led by the World
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) that brings together all of the
key players - organizations representing people who are blind, visually
impaired or otherwise print-disabled, authors, publishers, collective
management organizations, libraries and other authorized entities, as well
as standards bodies. ABC was established in June 2014 to implement the goals
of the  <https://www.wipo.int/marrakesh_treaty/en/> Marrakesh Treaty.
Through an effective international alliance of relevant state and non-state
actors, ABC seeks to increase, and distribute, the number of books worldwide
in accessible formats - such as braille, audio, e-text and large print.

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