Electronic books for the blinds equalizing the education opportunity

To equalize the accessibility of educational materials for the blinds as like the normal people has visible materials such as books and pictures, a research team from the 4th year level from the Department

Technology Thanyaburi (RMUTT), has produce an electronic book which uses sound and music for context explanation and induction. This research team consists of Tippawan Chuewchangit, Kaewkanchananat Patthanasirikunchai, Anan Lompan, Tawitch Piencharoen and Nongnapat Dajthammarong.

Tawitch said that “the electronic book with Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY) produced for the blinds. It uses sound and music to attract readers’ interest. The initiate story recorded into the book is Jataka Tales. It aims at cultivating them to understand about the Buddha teaching. Moreover, its objective is also to expand opportunity of information accessibility. The team gets to the work from producing and inserting sound steps through composing story ones. In addition, this work is the started point of continuous development of the books for blind pupils.

Even though the School for the Blinds in Thailand under the Royal Patronage of Her Majesty the Queen has not had any programs relating to DAISY, every pupil who lost their visibility since birth in intermediate education level can totally use DAISY system because they are taught by the librarians when they want to use the DAISY book. Moreover, school also provide computer programs for intermediate level including teaching standard and enable evaluation. Therefore, it can be sure that the pupils in the intermediate level can use computers and DAISY program.

Primarily, there are 12 parts of the Jataka Tales picked up for the book sound record, aiming teaching about the Buddha teaching with duration for 59 minutes.

To become the book, firstly stat with interpret the story and record sound into computer by using Condenser microphone. Then send the signal into the speaker by converting electric signal into sound by using ESI. After that, compose the sound with a sound mixer and edit it with ADOBE AUDITION 1.0. Lastly, convert file into DAISY system by using My Studio PC software and writ into Compact Disk (CD).

The evaluation of this project is divided into 2 parts. The first is to evaluate in terms of quantity looking at the numbers of pupils in the school. The second is to evaluate in terms of quality. The evaluators consists with 4 expert sides consisting with experts on sound, teachers in the blind school, producers of DAISY book and experts on tale for children.

From sampling, it is found that this book can interest the readers. This is another achievement of educational development for the nation and society.

Translated by Mr. Suraporn Onputtha