II. Adaptive Publishing: A Diverse Sector
"(People) with visual impairment can create a world of reading equal to that of the fully sighted, provided they learn how to locate, obtain and use resources and different technologies that exist specially for them." Andrew Leibs: A Field Guide for the Sight impaired reader. Page xvii
II.1 Embossed Formats: Braille and Moon
II.1.1) Publishing for the visually impaired, before and after Braille
Braille is a system of raised dots juxtaposed so as to produce 63 possible combinations,
representing all the different letters of the alphabet as well as numbers, punctuation
marks and combinations of letters, with a further advanced system for words
and even sentences.
A Braille letter is a pattern of dots positioned in two columns of three dots
each, which is called a cell. The position and the number of dots determine
the letter. This system was invented by Louis Braille, a French educator born
in 1809, who lost his sight shortly after his 3d birthday. Up to that time,
the very few existing books for the blind were printed in raised letters. These
books were very cumbersome, as letterforms have to be quite large in order for
a blind reader to be able to identify them.
The first of these embossed books was made in 1786, there were very few of them
because of the difficulty and expense of producing them. This was due to the
fact, that, in traditional type blocks, the letters were formed and mounted
on backwards and, in order to make letter-embossed printing, all type had to
be re-cast so that the letters were forward. The same type blocks could therefore
only be used for embossed printing. In Louis Braille’s school there were only
three books available for all the pupils. They were so large and cumbersome
as to be difficult to move!
By the age of thirty, Louis Braille, now a teacher at his former school had
perfected his own code and his students quickly adopted his system. Teachers
and patrons were more reluctant: The Braille code was considered radical because
it differed from the letters of the alphabet and some people feared it would
isolate children from the "real world". This debate went on for a long time
after Louis Braille’s death, although the code quickly became the favorite method
of making text available to touch.
The universal Braille code for English was adopted in 1932 and is known as the
Standard English Braille, grade 2. This is the code still in use today in the
UK and in the USA. Later, the Braille code was adapted to create "Nemath" or
Braille mathematics and a Braille music code with sixty-three symbols was developed,
proving the versatility of Louis Braille’s invention. II.1.2) Reading Braille
In order to read Braille text, a person uses the center of the last digit of
the index fingers to skim across the lines of cells.
English Braille is read, exactly like black print, from left to right and from
top to bottom. The speed of reading depends on the degree and efficiency of
training and the sensitivity of fingertips and may therefore prove harder some
people than for others. Fast readers are able to read 160 words a minute, although
the average reading speed is closer to 100 words a minute: the speed reached
whilst reading aloud from black print, or approximately half the speed of silent
black print reading.
The speed of reading Braille is limited by two factors. First, the need to distinguish
between the letters. The ability to distinguish between two neighboring embossed
dots is about 1,5 mm tactily against 0,1 mm visually (for a reader at a distance
of 30 cm) so that any given surface contains 200 times less tactile information
than visual information. The second factor is the surface of perception: because
the ease of reading is at its maximum when the finger slides across the writing,
this surface is approximately a circle of 6mm in diameter. Much smaller, obviously
than the surface that can be covered by the eye.
II.1.3) The production of Braille
Braille was initially produced using lead blocks, but all the technical advances
perfected by the printing industry throughout the years were usually adapted
for Braille publishing. The Stereotype maker, for example, invented in 1893,
mechanized the process of hammering the dots into the metal and eliminated the
need for making molds and casting stereotype plates.
Prior to the advent of computers, there were two methods of producing printing
plates to publish in Braille. A sheet of zinc or iron was inserted into the
carriage of a machine, whose series of six keys corresponded to the 6 dots of
a Braille cell. The keys were either activated by an electrically powered mechanical
clutch or electronically directed solenoid. As they typed, the machines embossed
each dot in the cell. When the first side was completed the sheet was turned
over and re-inserted.
In 1957, the American Printing House for the Blind began a joint research with
IBM to explore the use of computers to translate print into Braille and drive
a plate embossing device. This was perfected in 1964. The text was typed onto
computer keypunch cards. These cards were converted to a tape and the computer
translated the print into Braille. The cards were then used to drive the automatic
Stereograph, which produced the embossing plates.
Nowadays, the translated Braille file is output directly to an electronically
driven embossing machine that makes the actual Braille printing plates. Braille
books are printed on hand-fed presses adapted for that purpose whereas Braille
magazines are more usually printed on automated presses using a special heavy
paper. Laser printers and the development of special software and printers have
simplified the process. Pages from mainstream books can be scanned and the software
can then convert them to text files and then translate the files into Braille
ready for output. Text can also be typed directly into a word processing program
and then run through the software to prepare it for output into Braille. Text
embossing printers are now available that output files in pages embossed in
Braille. Converted ink presses with blotters to cushion the Braille plates are
used to print. By the early eighties, technology had been improved enough to
allow both sides of the same sheet of paper could be embossed with the dots
at the same time.
In order to print Braille legibly on two sides of a plate, these must be misaligned
by precisely 1/16 of an inch. A page of "black print" corresponds to four pages
of embossed Braille; it also has to be printed on extra thick paper. Books are
therefore voluminous and accordingly expensive. A standard size novel of 150
pages is likely, once transcribed in Braille, to correspond to four volumes
of text and to be priced at around £50. Another difficulty is the often considerably
long delay between the black printing and the printing in Braille.
The NLB has recently taken an interesting initiative. After negotiating with
publishers, it has obtained the authorization for three books to be simultaneously
released in print and in Braille format. Amongst these books is the successful
children’s book: The Illustrated Mum by Jacqueline Wilson
II.1.4) The Moon System
Another raised print system, existing parallel to Braille, was devised by Doctor
William Moon of Brighton in 1847, and is known as the "Moon system". It was
one of the most popular of a range of tactile codes in the UK until 1880 when
Braille took over.
Moon is a line-based tactile code, composed of raised simplified versions of
the letters of the alphabet. It is much easier to learn than Braille and also
necessitates less sensitivity in the fingers. It is, for all these reasons,
a favorite method of reading for older people and those who have lost their
sight late in life or by the less digitally sensitive. It is also very practical
for labeling objects such as audiotapes or for imparting a short amount of information.
It is not a system widely used outside the UK.
II.1.5) Production and distribution difficulties
Some books can be especially difficult to transcribe into Braille due to their
complexity. This is especially the case for non-fiction books, scientific or
business orientated, and for textbooks, because of the importance of non-textual
information they contain. This type of book usually possesses navigational aids
such as content tables, different levels of heads, indexes and page numbers.
Different kinds of graphics may be included, such as photographs, maps, charts,
illustrations and diagrams. Textbooks are often designed to achieve the maximum
amount of visual stimulation, mixing coloured text and highlighted boxes, different
typefaces and fonts, graphs and charts that provide the sighted reader with
additional information (identifying words that are new or book titles for example)
that can be particularly awkward to translate as text or as raised diagrams.
However the main difficulties faced by Braille publishing is its entirely non
commercial aspect.
There are of course wide differences in the production and distribution of
Braille books between countries. In Denmark, for example, the national library
for the blind produces and lends books and magazines and audio books and distributes
them to the wide number of public libraries over the country. The Danish NLB
has salaried personnel and functions on an annual budget of £3 million. In Sweden,
3 000 audio and Braille titles are produced every year, corresponding to a third
of all the printed books in the country. The state has the main responsibility
for production and distribution. In contrast, in many countries, such as France,
there is no centralized organization, no national printing house, no compulsory
cataloguing of Braille books, or copyright laws on adaptive literature. The
production and distribution of Braille books is therefore divided, lacking in
funding and often dependent on volunteers. There are no large publishers, no
specialized bookshops and only one special library catering for adult readers.
In the UK, the production of Braille is mainly ensured by the RNIB, which is
the largest Braille publisher in Europe.
II.1.6) Possible solutions
It seems clear that, whatever the country, the involvement of governments is
desirable and that the situation could be improved by the creation of national
printing houses, in countries where they do not yet exist. It is worth noting
that the books with the smallest print run are often the most necessary: Textbooks
in particular sometimes only need to be produced in 2 or 3 copies in France
and the UK, because of the rising integration of VI children in mainstream schools
and the short life expectancy caused by the frequent changes in curriculums.
Another sector where change would be welcome is in copyright law. Ideally, it
should be possible to recognize that a Braille version of a text does nor threaten
the commercial market and therefore place them outside copyright law so that
Braille transcriptions would not require permission or payment of fees. Alternatively,
it could be decided to forbid withholding of permission to copy, but still allow
provision for fees to be paid. Agreeing on a yearly declaration of transcription
instead of a title by title declaration in use at present in France would be
a small step but greatly reduce the workload of the charities and associations
involved in the transcription of Braille.
II.1.7) The future of Braille.
Braille literacy has been on the decline for the last few decades. The result
of the growing integration of children in mainstream schools, where audio and
large print are preferred formats and of the rise of audio and electronic books.
However Braille is still a favorite method of reading and crucial to many visually
impaired people. Because each person, whether visually impaired or not, possesses
both a written and an oral memory, and because everyone has their own preferences,
it is important that VI children and adults retain a wide choice of different
books formats.
Some inkling of the sensations procured by reading Braille and its importance
in the daily lives of many VI people may be gained from the following extracts
of letters sent by Braille readers for the National Touch Reading day
event that took place on the 12 May 1999 throughout the UK:
"I have been totally blind since I was seven and a half, and I am now seventy-two.
Until then I could see normally, and enjoyed reading and writing…sixty-five
years later I use Braille for all the purposes for which sighted people use
print or handwriting. It is true that I listen to tape-recordings, and I regard
the news bulletins on Radio 4 as my newspaper and enjoy borrowing print books
from the local library and reading them on the scanner, but Braille provides
not only my main source of information but also my principle way of reading
for pleasure. Braille and my guide-dog are, together, ‘my other pair of eyes’,
and with their help I experience life." Patricia Hart
"I am a comparative newcomer to Braille and decided to lean in 1994 when
I realized that large print was becoming too difficult to read. It seemed a
daunting task at first – would I ever remember all the contractions, and would
my fingers be able to read the dots? By the time two years had passed, I was
reading my first real novel. Prior to me being registered blind, I was an avid
reader. I loved the look, smell and feel of books and the turning of the page.
Although I enjoy audio books, I do not always want to listen to a story. There
is something very rewarding about reading a book for yourself. As I always enjoyed
the physical parts of reading a book, I now have the added fun of touching all
the words too. I find the NLB offers a great selection of books, far more than
was available in large print. I never think that I will not be able to read
a particular book now, as I am sure that NLB will be able to get it for me.
I found the actual process of learning Braille a bit like learning a foreign
language and an interesting experience, it is certainly the most rewarding thing
I have done in my life…" Jennifer E Whalley
II.2 Braille and Tactile books for children
I I.2.1) The production of tactile books
Tactile books are books with tactile interest created and designed for VI children.
They are composed of raised illustrations and illustrations in bright colour
and often, though not necessarily, of a text in large print and corresponding
Braille version on clear plastic inserted over or in between the black print.
Sometimes, an audio version of the text may be available. Tactile books often
use strong spiral binding because reading by touch requires flat pages. The
large print and the raised illustrations require thick paper and make for a
large format book. The result is a technically complex, very expensive book
to produce for the tiny market of VI children.
This is without doubt the sector of publishing for the VI that faces the most
difficulties and where the lack of books is the most strongly felt. In most
countries, publishing of specialized books is not organized or government subsidized,
(subsidies are often mainly from private individuals and associations), and
the industry is divided and fragmented. The publishing of tactile books is almost
always the responsibility of associations and volunteers who need to find adequate
financial means each time a new project is considered. In France, the lack of
funding often keeps these books out of the reach of many families and even of
the less well off schools and associations and it is a symbol of this difficult
situation that, even in rich countries, some VI children do not own a book.
II.2.2) The needs of visually impaired children
Because Braille is not a familiar constituent of the environment, Braille Books
take on a special importance to children. "(VI) children have not had the
opportunity to get familiar with the different forms of writing, There are no
books and they cannot understand the use of reading and writing especially in
Braille, whilst observing their parents in the street or watching TV, etc."
Nathalie Levi-Dumont.
A VI children who does not have access to Braille books is more likely to be
handicapped in both spelling and vocabulary. Older children, who have learned
Braille, must have constant access to books so as to keep up their acquired
skills. It is of particular importance that these books be beautiful and attractive
to both VI and sighted children, thus helping the sharing of the book and therefore
social interaction and integration with siblings and friends. Some books are
specially designed to be shared by a VI parent and a sighted child. An attractive
book will reflect positively on the Braille reader. It may help those children
who are reluctant to learn Braille because of a fear of being marginalised.
It seems that one of the difficulties facing tactile books is that they are
not considered as important as textbooks because they are not pedagogical in
content, but reading has never been a simply utilitarian activity. Although
textbooks are essential, it is necessary for children to be able to possess
and manipulate books before they begin their schooling and to learn to enjoy
them. Tactile books can help familiarization with the outside world and interaction
with friends and family, while illustrations lend shape to their imagination
and perception of the world. Although there are very few books produced for
visually impaired children, those that do exist are often of very high quality,
technically and artistically. When they can be find in public libraries, they
prove immensely popular, not only for visually impaired children, but also amongst
sighted children. However, these albums, often individually produced, are not
part of the main publishing market. There has been up till now virtually no
importation or exportation of these books.
II.2.3) Some tactile book publishers
The French publisher "Les doigts qui rêvent" set up in 1993 has produced 3000
albums and 12 different titles since 1997. Their books are divided into 6 collections,
that range from Braille beginners through to fluent readers.
In Japan, "Fureai Bunko" adapts illustrated books for children in Braille and
they are available on loan throughout the country, The publishers stick plastic,
Braille embossed sheets over the text and make cutouts of the illustrations.
Transparent ink gives relief to illustrations and permits a range of textures.
Additional information is available in Braille, allowing a global impression
of the book. 4000 books have been adapted this way.
ClearVision is an UK association that adapts mainstream tactile books for sighted
children and fits them with added Braille on transparent sheets, placed over
the text or in between the pages. In smaller countries, where the number of
blind children is even less, the situation is even worse.
In Belgium, according to Monique Clette, librarian at the Oeuvre Nationale des
Aveugles " that counts 20 children under 12 amongst its readers: "Tactile books
are nonexistent". In many of these tiny publishers, such as LDQR and ClearVision,
the actual making of the books is ensured by unemployed people working with
rehabilitation groups, sometimes hospital patients or prison inmates work groups,
in the case of ClearVision, thereby lowering the labour costs, to allow for
the high raw material costs. The work is often considered particularly satisfying
and an amount of training is usually provided.
An example of a tactile book "L`histoire du grand requin jaune", written by
author Regine Gondeauis, published in 1996, by "Les doigts qui rêvent", in the
Brailli-brailla series for beginner readers is a good example of the production
of this publishing company. The price is 120 FF (£15) The book is 21cm by 29cm
large. It is made of cardboard with coloured illustrations and uses a range
of textures such as drawing paper, sandpaper, leather, plastic and fur. The
text is both in Braille and in black print. The brightly coloured illustrations
are there to encourage use of both touch and sight. The story is simple and
the different characters (a shark, some fish and a snail) are easily recognizable
because of their different tactile aspect. A magnified metal sheet at the end
of the book allows the children to play with the magnetized characters and use
their imagination. Instructions also require them to place the characters below,
above, around each other, thereby helping to develop spatial recognition.
II.2.4) Projects
Tactile books for children have long been a neglected field and it is still
vastly under-funded, however it is a sector that I found to be particularly
creative and slowly expanding. A number of projects are on their way and this
will probably increase during the next few years. There is palpable excitement
surrounding projects such as the first tactile book award: Tactus, that will
be organized in France this autumn at the first European assembly of tactile
books by the Culture ministry of France and the Publisher "Les doigts qui rêvent/Daydreaming
Fingers" and co-organised by associations in the UK, Italy and Belgium.
The Tactus Award is aiming to bring together all the individuals and associations
throughout Europe who produce adapted books for children or who are concerned
with this subject and who, previously, have often worked alone and isolated.
Amongst the most interesting projects to have recently been attempted is the
decision by Britain and Spain to purchase 150 copies in their own language of
two "Les doigts qui rêvent" titles: Les petits points and Trois petits cochons.
"Les petits points" is at present the only original tactile book to be available
in Britain from the RNIB.
II.2.5) Difficulties and limitations of tactile book publishing
Even despite the growing assistance provided by new technologies, tactile
books remain at a prohibitively high cost, due to the extremely limited copy
run (that does not usually exceed 250 copies in most European countries) and
the expensive production chain. Special materials are usually employed and special
tools are often required to work on them. Eighty-six different tools were needed
to make "La petite taupe…" published by "Les doigts qui rêvent" Then comes
the assembling, gluing, binding and delivery, the customer relations and the
search for finances for another project.
Although the Braille printing is often subcontracted, as is the black printing,
the workload involved for these often very small publishers can be considerable.
These books are expensive and the need to open up towards other countries is
great. The distribution of these books is also an issue. The main outlets of
distribution are charities and associations and direct mail. There seems to
be a real problem in getting bookshops to stock these special books, because
of their fragility and price and the smallness of the market. Some associations
consider the obstacles to be of a less rational nature and blame the long implanted
fear of blindness amongst the population as a cause of reluctance on the part
of booksellers to stock these books.
II.2.5) Tactile pictures and diagrams
Illustrations in tactile books may be either thermoformed embossings or
original pictures made with a wide range of different textures. Materials used
can be, amongst others, textured papers and cloths, strings and ribbons, wire,
plastic, metal, tile cement or aluminum. These create a variety of distinctive
textures and shapes that can convey complex information or enjoyable, interesting
sensations for the children. Authentic materials are not necessary to accurately
represent an object and are often not even an advantage as their tactile sensation
may be altered in a small space.
It is important to understand that adapting a diagram or an illustration does
not only imply raising the black lines of print. A tactile image is significant
only in regard to previous experience and knowledge. Diagrams may cause confusion
and be impossible to understand by a VIP who are unable to perceive perspective.
Textures are more easily distinguished than shapes.
Some research has been made on how blind people perceive pictures and how they
relate these to the real world. A two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional
object is obviously much harder to understand for a blind person: It is much
more abstract because so different from any direct perceptual experience that
is not visual. A tactile picture has to be simplified, the main characteristics
emphasized in order to make a shape recognizable. It has been suggested that
conventions should regulate diagrams created for the VI and be established during
the child or the students schooling. However these tactile symbols have not
been easy to fix, as the results often depend on the different materials and
techniques employed.
II.2.7) Solutions proposed
Associations, mainly in France and in the UK are at present working together
on the issues facing tactile book publishing. It seems that cooperation between
different countries and between associations, government bodies and book professionals
could be extremely useful. Of particular interest, because of the extremely
limited amount of titles available, is the exchange of book ideas between countries
and their translation. Because the most complex work is in the tactile pictures,
the translation of these books into several languages would be cheap and extremely
desirable. The creation of a website of ideas for tactile books has been proposed.
It is also essential that the European Union take appropriate decisions regarding
the financing of tactile book publishers and make suitable modifications in
the legislation in favor of adapted publishing. Some French associations have
also suggested the creation of a tax on all mainstream printed documents that
would go towards reducing the over-cost of producing adaptive versions.
Tactile books in France
– An Interview with Nathalie Leroux of the ANPEA (Association nationale des parents d`enfants aveugles ou déficients visuels avec ou sans handicaps associés. / National association of parents of blind or visually impaired children with or without additional handicaps.) This association is based in Paris, and has branches throughout France. It represents a majority of families of visually impaired children. The ANPEA publishes a quarterly news bulletin: Comme les autres.
1) Can you introduce your association and explain its aims?
The ANPEA was created in 1964, to provide information and advice to the parents of blind or partially sighted children. We work with other associations and with government groups to represent these parents. We are here to help them in their relations with professionals both in the medical and education system. We try and help the integration of visually impaired children into society, through mainstream or specialized schooling. One of our main goals is helping them access culture and reading through books, whether Braille, large print and embossed.
2) I know you consider publishing of specialized books in France to be unsatisfactory. What kinds of books are currently available for visually impaired children.
We mainly concentrate our efforts on developing tactile books for children. These are books in Braille: some accompanied by audiotapes, with embossed drawings and using different textiles and materials as illustrations. This is a particularly deprived area of publishing for children and the existing books are few and expensive. Yet their influence and importance are crucial. These books are a fantastic means of integration into school and society.
3) There are discussions at present about the relevance and the future of Braille. What are the particularities of Braille and tactile books, that in your view makes them so important?
The importance of Braille and tactile books for children cannot be stressed enough. A child who does not read becomes illiterate, whether sighted or not. But unlike ordinary print, which is used in everyday life, on cereal boxes or on posters in the street for example, Braille can only be read in books. Braille takes willpower and persistence to learn, and we should be doing all we can to help these children. This is why books in Braille and especially tactile books for children are such a necessity
4) How many publishers of tactile books are there in France?
There are only four or five professional publishers; these are AVH, Les doigts qui rêvent, La Cité des sciences, Cétéb, and Benjamins Média. These publishers are all excellent but account for only a small proportion of tactile books. The others are hand-made by small associations or individuals. In fact, I would say that the main publishers of Braille books for children in France are the parents themselves.
5) What causes this lack of professionally made books?
These books are very scarce, as the print run does not usually exceed 300 copies. They are also very expensive to make. Even if the publishing house producing them is a not-for-profit organization, as is usually the case, and the price of the book reflects only the costs of production, the average price is 200- 300 French francs (20 -30 £). As an example, the illustrated album for children: "La petite Taupe…" costs 72 ff. (7£) at "Milan" (the original "mainstream" publisher) and 300ff (30£) at "les doigts qui rêvent", (the publishers who have adapted it in Braille with illustrations in textiles and embossed drawings.) Of course parents, schools and libraries are all forced to budget.
6) What are your relations and those of specialized publishers with mainstream book publishers?
They vary. There are no real laws governing the copyright issue in this case, so we rely on their cooperation. Some cause no difficulty. In other cases, the publishing house or sometimes the author, refuse to grant us copyright, because they are afraid of risking their rights.
7) What about other formats of books? - Do you also have these problems of price and availability with large-print books?
In fact it is often the parents that make these books, or sometimes the school or the local council. This is done by simply photocopying pages of an A4 book onto A3 paper. But these resulting books are very cumbersome and hard to read. Books should be specially made, by professionals, with less white margins, and with bright colors. For textbooks, for example, there is often a need for adapted exercises. Getting textbooks in general are a problem, as there is often a long wait. This is an unacceptable situation, when you consider how crucial these books are for a child’s schooling.
8) What projects are on your agenda for this year?
We are trying to get a wider range of books for our members’ children, available at lower prices. To achieve this, we are hoping to get the government to agree to subsidize them. We are also working with publishers to get an agreement of copyright. Unlike some other countries, there is no national printing house for the blind in France and there is a lack of political action, which we want to remedy to. One of our main projects this year is a virtual library we call Braillenet, which will possess audio, Braille and large print books and serve as a link between all visually impaired people.
Discussion with Marion Ripley of ClearVision Project at the "Sound Sight exhibition" in Glasgow. The ClearVision Project is a nationwide postal lending library of over 8000 mainstream children’s picture books, usually ones with tactile interest, to with Braille is added. It is based at Linden Lodge School in London. It is a registered charity supported by the RNIB, by publishers and by individuals. Marion Ripley, the manager of ClearVision has written and published two original tactile books: Choosy Charly and The Giant’s Boot, which are distributed by the RNIB. Together with a translation of Philippe Claudet's Little Dots; these are the only original commercial tactile books available at present in the UK.
1) What is the situation of tactile books for children in Britain?
In the UK and no doubt elsewhere, the best tactile books are those produced for individual children by adults who know and care for them. Clearly however they cannot answer the demand for books from VI children.
2) What is the work of the ClearVision association?
We adapt tactile books created for sighted children. There has been a huge increase in these books in the past few years, as we have become aware of the importance of tactile recognition in young children. Publishers are producing books of increasing interest and variety. We choose those that seem to be the most interesting in terms of contents and in ease of adaptation for VI children and those that seem the most resilient and then we adapt them by fixing a clear sheet of Braille embossed plastic either under the Black text or inserted between the pages so that the pictures and print text are still visible.
3) Why are these books so important?
The books are necessary to the child’s integration. This is why we try to make the books as attractive as possible to sighted and visually impaired children alike. Some of our books are specially adapted for visually impaired adults wanting to read to their sighted children
4) How many titles do you now have available?
We currently have over 1500 titles available, often by well-known authors. We usually possess all titles in grade 1 and 2 Braille. We have titles aimed at the very young pre-school children, and also non-fiction, information books that meet the National Curriculum demands.
5) Have you produced any original tactile books?
Yes, I have designed two original tiles: Choosy Charly and the Giant’s boot. These have originated from my experience with VI children. These two titles are small format books for young children, with a simple story told in large print and in Braille and robust brightly coloured thermoforms of everyday objects and bold black and white illustrations. Matching real objects to the thermoforms in the book can make the story come to life.
6) What is the cost of these books?
They are priced at £9.99, which we consider to be a reasonable price. This is because we have cut the production costs as much as possible. The making of the books is by prison inmates.
7) Have you any projects for the future?
The greatest lack in perhaps in books for slightly older children. Mainstream tactile books usually cater for the 0-6 age group. I am at present working on such a book, intended for an older public. We are also in the middle of a fruitful collaboration with Philippe Claudet, of "les doigts qui rêvent" Publishing house. And we intend to translate each other’s books.
II.3. Large Print
II.3.1) Clear Print guidelines
"Good standards of print legibility help all readers, but for many people with a visual impairment the issue is crucial to whether they read or not" RNIB information sheet.
Clear Print Guidelines Large print is not only about enlarging a said print
format. Specific types of visual impairment interfere with the complex visual
task of reading in different, not always understood, ways. There is therefore
no possible "print standard" that will meet all needs. However there are some
constants: Impaired vision can affect the amount of light that enters the eye;
it also often blurs the retinal image. These symptoms effectively reduce the
contrast of the text and spaces. Another symptom is damage to the central portion
of the retina, which is the best suited for reading. This affects the ability
to see small print and to make the eye movements that are crucial to reading.
The vast majority of visually impaired people have deficits in colour perception,
which reduces the effectiveness of certain colour combinations. Colours, which
contrast sharply for one individual, may be indistinguishable for another. There
are a number of general changes that are likely to help many visually impaired
people as well as those who have difficulty reading small print. These are inexpensive
and easily made adaptations which can be applied to most texts
Contrast: One of the most important factors affecting legibility is the
contrast between the type and the paper on which it is printed. The VI reader
appreciates the highest available contrast. Paper color, printing inks and type
size and weight affect contrast.
Print legibility is one issue that all publishers should consider. It may be
the simplest way to gain a new readership: the visually impaired population.
Although white or light yellow letters on a black background are often more
readable by some visually impaired people, (only if the size and weight is adequate
as small type sizes and light faces tend to fill with ink and become indistinct)
this may be perceived as less aesthetically pleasing, and traditional black
type on white or light yellow paper gives very good contrast. If a publisher
wishes to use other materials, papers or background colors should be as light
and printing inks as dark as possible. Confusing for all and especially visually
impaired reader is type running across photographs and illustrations. This is
quite a common occurrence, especially in magazines.
Point size: Point size significantly improves legibility. 8-10 is the
norm for the general reader. These are not legible for many readers. 12-point
seems a good size to use for mainstream books, and would benefit a large part
of the public. 14-point text is the minimum to be used in texts intended for
partially sighted readers, with a higher point size for titles and subtitles.
Point sizes above 20 do not seem to be useful to most VI readers.
Leading: Leading should be 25 to 30 % of the point size for better ease
in finding the beginning of a new line Type weight: Medium or bold type weights
are appreciated; Light typefaces in smaller sizes should be avoided.
Font style: Ordinary upper and lower case typeface is more readable than
Italics, slanted, small caps or all caps. The font employed is of great importance
and many fonts are difficult to read event in large size. Sans serif type, which
provides an even stroke weight and is less distracting, is often preferred.
It also has the advantage of appearing larger than serifed typefaces for an
equal typesize. It is best to avoid decorative, complicated fonts.
The RNIB "See it right" campaign recommends Helvetica, Arial and Univers, and
Frutiger for numbers.
Letter spacing: Spacing should be even and reasonably wide, without condensing
lines or words to fit the line length. Unjustified right hand margins is the
best.
Line length: Shorter lines are preferred. It is better to avoid splitting
words.
Paper: Glossy paper lessens legibility as it reflects too much light.
Thin, low-quality paper that shows the reverse text is equally unsuitable.
Margins: A large margin may help the book stay flat, helpful if a stand
or video-magnifier is used
Design and layout: Layout should be kept simple and clear, with sufficient
spacing between paragraphs, clear margin, or vertical rules if columns are used,
differentiated headings, rules to separate unrelated sections, and a clear contents
list to make the layout easy to follow
Covers: Distinctive colors sizes or formats may be useful for distinguishing
a book or document, especially if there is only a title or number to differentiate
them.
Bindings: Bindings that allow the book or document to be laid out flat are
preferred, so as to allow use of complementary reading aids such as magnifying
glasses and lights.
II.3.2) Large print - Definition
Most associations define large print as a font of at least 12, more usually
of 14 points and above. Legibility is not usually improved above 20-point, but
there are some exceptions, and sometimes 30-point and above is used. It is important
that the publisher should have knowledge of the varying handicaps that he or
she may be catering for because of the difference in symptoms and variations
in sight loss and ideally the print size should be adjusted to each individual
reader. Size is not the only guarantee of legibility and large print books should
agree with recommended typographic specifications on clear print.
II.3.3) The large print market
Large print publishing became relatively widely available in the early eighties.
The market for large print is widening as the baby-boomer generation start suffering
from age-related sight loss. The book market for large print is traditionally
associated with older people and the titles reflect this by proposing mainly
modern fiction and bestsellers in particular. Despite the wide range of titles
published in Large Print, almost none are for children or adolescents.
II.3.4) Producing large print
Sometimes the original publisher or the subcontractor may himself enlarge the
text or, lending the rights to copy, provide a disk from which the text may
be enlarged to a suitable print size. Once the rights are obtained to transpose
a book or any other document into large font, the adapted book publisher will
select a font, size, line spacing and characteristics such as quality of ink
and paper. These may vary. If quality of printing and design are important in
mainstream publishing, their influence can be still greater when dealing with
the adapted publishing industry.
One large print, not-for-profit, publisher Ulverscroft, has done particular
research into the quality of large print books. Ulverscroft`s books are 11"
x 8". The print is twice as large as ordinary print. The books are produced
on opaque non-glare white paper in jet-black ink. 5 times as much ink is used
in Ulverscroft books as in an ordinary book.
Marie Sophie de la Brosse, librarian at the FNAPEDV (the Belgian National federation
for parents of blind children associations) uses Times font, 20 on 22, which
seems to be print-size norm amongst large print publishers. Her books are printed
on offset ivory 90 grams, non-transparent, anti-reflection paper. As well as
enlarging the text and graphs, it is also possible, on a computer program, to
modify the background and contrasts for a better result. It is important for
large print books to be attractive and of a similar size, as much as is possible
to the corresponding mainstream title.
This issue is of particular importance for children, especially concerning schoolbooks
and textbooks. Large print bindings are often similar to the binding of Braille
Books. Adhesives or spiral binding that allow the pages to be opened flat are
used This is necessary to allow additional aids such as magnifying glasses and
adjustable lamps to be used.
Formats vary according to the publishers. Some may be in fly-chart format, with
one-sided printing, to limit the necessary manipulation of the book. The usual
aim though is to try and reduce the format of these often-cumbersome books to
the maximum.
II.3.5) The future of large print
Amongst the solutions suggested by various associations in order to provide
a wider choice of books and to make them easily available, are the facilitation
of the cession of rights, a greater partnership amongst actors, a greater implication
by governments and the creation of inter-ministerial groups. Also recommended
is an increase in international partnership. It has been suggested that an international
bibliographical database be set up for the European Union.
Questionnaire sent to Magna Large Print Books- Answered by Diane Allen Rights
and Contracts Manager
What are the main British large print publishers?
There are three other large print publishers that deal with the same sector
as ourselves, they are - Isis large print and Audio, Chivers large print and
audio and Thorpe (Ulverscroft) large print, who are our sister firm
Do you export overseas?
Yes, through our parent firm who deals with all the shipping requirements. We
cover all of the UK and Commonwealth, as well as America.
How do you obtain rights and have you encountered difficulties with certain
publishers in the past?
Large Print Book rights are negotiated with the ordinary print publishers, agents
and authors. This can be done by mail, fax or over the phone. This sometimes
leads to other large print firms bidding against one another for the same title,
with the highest bid winning. We have never encountered difficulties with specific
publishers in the past.
How do you distribute and market your books?
We distribute and market our books by sending a quarterly catalogue out to all the libraries on our mailing list and back this up with copies of book jackets for their perusal. Distribution is mainly through direct mailing from our own warehouse for UK libraries; our sister firm Ulverscroft deals with overseas distribution.
Concerning audio books, how do you cater for the VI Market?
We do publish unabridged audio and we do make adaptations for the blind/visually impaired. Libraries can request that we service their tapes with raised numbers or dymo dots telling the listener which side they are on. Unfortunately we are unable to put Braille onto the tapes.
Interview with Liz Paulson, Manager of the Speaks Volumes Large Print ProjectThe NBCS (National blind children’s society) hosts the Speaks Volumes association that produces large print copies of teenage fiction books.
1) How did your association begin?
NBCS was founded in 1995 to provide resources and equipment to blind and visually impaired schoolchildren. The Speaks Volumes project was set up last year by the NBCS with the help of a government grant. I produce books in large print on request of an individual child, and sometimes for a school or association.
2) How do you obtain permission to copy from the publishers?
I make a request to copy to the publisher individually for each book. Sometimes this can take a while as some are quite slow to answer, but usually, after sufficient explanation, they agree to my request. Recently, JK Rowling’s publishers have granted me the rights to adapt in large print all the Harry Potter books. I now have about twenty titles available including Roald Dahl and CS Lewis. Another seven, including Anne Frank’s Diary are pending copyright permission.
3) What font do you usually prefer to use?
It varies according to each child. I only work on a few books every month, so I can discuss the requirements of each individual child and decide on the font, size, style (plain or bold) and colour of print and on a preferred colour of paper. Usually, I work in Arial and use 16-20-point size, but one little boy requests bold 40-point size. Another likes the text in white on black. Other requirements include extra line spacing or margins for notes, or printing the text on one side only.
4) What are the prices of the transcribed books?
Our policy is that children and their parent purchase the book for the price of the original print copy, schools and other organizations pay 3.5p per page with a minimum for the cover price of the book which fluctuates with font size. When a book requires additional work because of pictures or diagrams, we agree on contribution towards production costs.
II.4 Audio Book / Spoken Word Publishing
"When the ear receives subtly, it turns into an eye. But if words do not reach the ear in the chest, nothing happens." Rumi
II.4.1) Audio books:A mass market or a specific market?
The audio book, otherwise called "spoken word" became available in Europe
in the mid seventies and is the only adapted book format that may be considered
as mass-market because it also caters for the sighted population. The market
for audio books is estimated as a growing market of 2 million UK adults existing
alongside a smaller specialized market aimed more specifically at the visually
impaired population According to the SWPA, the UK spoken word publishing association,
this market is growing: "Between the financial year 1993-1994 and the financial
year 1996-1997, the industry’s turnover doubled, from £25million to £50 million.
The number of copies sold went from 3million to 6million.
Spoken word accounts for one fifth of all UK cassette sales. The aging of the
Baby-boomer generation means that a larger proportion of the population is now
uncomfortable with ordinary print and is likely to turn to either large-print
or audio-books. Some people seem to consider that there is a stigma attached
to audio reading. However this is unreasonable and audiotape can be one of the
easiest, most practical, most enjoyable ways of reading for visually impaired.
The additional advantages are ease of purchase and a relatively low cost of
production. The main disadvantage of cassettes is that they may be cumbersome.
90-minutes of reading corresponds to 40 pages. One standard size novel could
therefore easily correspond to 7 or 8 tapes.
II.4.2) Production and distribution issues
Nearly all books can be successfully converted into audio form. Because
it caters for such a large market, this can be one of the easiest ways for VI
people to access material they require. Audio books comprise contemporary novels,
classics, comedy, biography, poetry, history, science, politics and children’s
literature. Audio books are found in many bookshops and record stores and direct
mail organizations are increasingly important. They are also well stocked in
normal libraries. Specialist bookshops can be found in most capital cities,
such as the "Talking Bookshop" in London.
However, from the interviews and documents collected, I found that although
audio books was by far the most easily obtainable, widely distributed format
of adapted books, it catered insufficiently for the VI market. Most of the audiobook
publishing is aimed at an older population, interest in leisure "easy listening"
books. Even if a reader would wish to choose such a book, they are never marketed
specifically for the visually impaired. Some mainstream audio publishers, on
the request of VI associations are reflecting on issues such as mailing in large
print and audio format, via cassette, phone or the Internet. Suitable markings
of cassettes/disks are also recommended. Braille or moon labeling on the cassette
and audio side or tape identification to indicate the order of listening. This
small adjustment could prove very useful to the visually impaired.
II.4.3) Some audio-book publishers
There are several large audio-book publishers in the UK: The BBC is
the largest publisher of audio books in the UK, with a large catalogue of classics,
comedy and children’s books. Others are Chiver, who produces romance and a good
selection of modern novels. Magna Carta, that deals in both large print and
audio books with a catalogue particularly devoted to popular fiction, with collections
such as Harlequin Mills. Cover to cover specializes in classical literature.
International, usually American based publishers such as Naxos also supply the
UK audio books market. Naxos offers a catalogue of classic fiction, modern classics
and junior classics, enhanced with classical music, in both tape and CD format.
Some charities and government-run associations and libraries, such as Calibre
library and the RNIB. These sometimes use 4-track cassettes, playing at reduced
speed. These require compatible tape players.
Benjamins Media is the only French publishers devoted entirely to spoken word
publishing for VI children. Benjamin Media books are composed of an audiotape,
a black "mainstream version" and a version available in either large print or
Braille, both with many added illustrations.
The audio book makes a wide use of music and background noise to complement
the story. According to the publishers, these background noises such as muted
conversation, nature sounds, voices rising and falling, domestic noises are
helpful in replacing illustrations and setting a scene for the story to unfold.
Interview with Jan Paterson Publisher of the BBC Radio Collection The BBC is the UK's leading audio book publishers. From its catalogue, their production appears to be of high quality and of great diversity with a large selection of classics, non-fiction, history in particular, comedy and children’s books. The BBC Radio Collection has been awarded the Spoken Word Publisher of the Year award in 1995,1996,1997 and 1998.
General Questions
1) What is your position in the audio book publishing industry?
There are around 25 spoken word publishers in the UK. The BBC Radio collection
is the leading publisher in this area, with around 40% of the market.
2) What categories of books do you produce?
There are 6 genres, Fiction and drama, poetry, children’s literature, crime
and thrillers, classic comedy and also non-fiction, amongst which, the series
on the History of Britain, which has proven very popular. Compact disks represent
around 10 % of our sales.
3) Can you publish simultaneously with the book versions?
Yes, we often publish an audiobook simultaneously with a print version, The
main constraint is that we cannot bring an audio book out at the same time that
it is broadcast on the radio, although there are some exceptions, for example,
a recent emission figuring Michael Palin came out as a video and as audio version,
at the same time as its radio broadcast.
4) What are your arrangements concerning copyright fees, have you experienced
any problems?
There are not usually any problems concerning copyright fees, publishers often
have a standard audiobook adaptation arrangement, Problems arise when they are
considering making their own audio version. Many of our audio books are our
own original BBC materials.
5) What are your distribution outlets?
Mainly in the large bookstores such as Waterstones, WH Smith and Dillons, like
a print publisher, but also in Music stores such as HMV and Virgin. A consequent
share of our sales is made via direct mail. Specialized bookstores are rare.
The Talking Bookshop in London, is one of the only examples in the UK.
Queries specific to the VI market:
1) Are you in contact with associations or charities concerned with VIPs`
issues?
Yes, with the RNIB in particular. They advise us regularly and are particularly
helpful.
2) Do you have a special marketing for the visually impaired? -- Do you advertise
in magazines for the VI and are promotional mailings accessible in large print?
Not usually, we find that our cassettes are mainly bought by sighted people,
and in the case of the visually impaired population, by their friends and family,
while associations such as Calibre cater for direct purchase. Our catalogue
is on the Internet however. We might also consider Braille markings-identification
In the future, as it is evident this would be a very positive step regarding
the VI community.
II.5 The Electronic Book
II.5.1) Converting text
A leap forward became possible when computer technology was applied to the production
of Braille books. Specially engineered software enabled floppy disk-stored information
to be converted into the layout of a Braille page and printed out on a special
Braille printer hooked up to the PC. Electronic or e-text stored on computer
disks can be read with a word processor or a speech synthesizer. On a computer,
with a simple program, the text can be enlarged, contrast and background modified.
For example it can be made to be white on black if this is deemed preferable,
all according to each reader’s disability and preferences. Newspapers and books
can be downloaded directly. The range of possibilities is extensive.
II.5.2) Using the Internet
A new development in the publishing industry is the emergence of on-line publishing
companies. The first French publisher to be entirely virtual is called 00h00,
(Zero heures). The books published by this company are all out of copyright,
either because they are new or because they are classics in the public domain.
In January this year, Barnes and Noble signed and agreement with Microsoft to
develop an electronic bookstore on the Web offering 10 000 titles (classics
and new work) that could be read on electronic devices or personal computers
according to a New York Times article, on the 5th of January 2000. The Internet
is an obvious means of distribution. It can overcome the bulk of Braille. It
can be used to send pre-formatted files from a specialist center for access
or reproduction elsewhere and allows access to national catalogues of alternative
format material. However issues such as copyright are still relevant and must
be solved.
II.5.3) The Braillenet project
An interesting project, which is being developed in France, is the Braillenet
project. Set up to help VIP access the Internet so as to help their education
and professional training. It aims to ensure a larger choice of titles available,
in a variety of formats such as Braille and large print, with immediate access
and at a lower cost, thereby tackling the three main problems of adaptive literature:
long delays, restriction of choice and high costs. The aim is to attain 2000
titles by the end of the year 2000. Braillenet is attempting to help increase
relations between publishers and authors and specialized association so as to
allow simultaneous access to books for VI people by proposing adapted novelties
and by establishing cooperation with commercial publishers.