Fosdem 2011 odt2daisy odt2braille

FOSDEM, Brussels, Belgium, 5-6 February 2011

odt2daisy & odt2braille: OpenOffice.org/LibreOffice Extensions for Accessible Formats

Christophe StrobbeK.U.Leuven, [email protected]


The AEGIS Project

● EC-funded project, Sep. 2008-Feb.2012● 20+ partners, including Oracle (Sun),

AOL, RIM, Vodafone Foundation, RNIB, K.U.Leuven, …

● Access to desktop, RIAs and mobile applications

● Many open-source “prototypes” / products

● http://www.aegis-project.eu/


odt2daisy:Generating DAISY Books from OpenOffice.org & LibreOffice



Digital Talking Books

● For persons with “print disabilities”● Text + audio (synthetic or human voice)● Highlighting synchronised with audio

● DAISY – ANSI/NISO Z39/86● Production: typically

● by specialised production centres ● for blind & visually impaired users● i.e. not by users (in 2007)


Objectives

Enable end-users to produce DAISY● In most European languages● In a free and open-source office suite● Support:

● DAISY 3 (with or without audio)● DAISY 2.02 (for older players)● Multilingual content● Mathematical Markup Language


Methodology

● Build OOo / LibO extension● Odt2dtbook by Vincent Spiewak

available in 2008● Functionality available as extension and

as reusable JAR (Java Archive)● Add:

– DAISY 3 audio, DAISY 2.02– comprehensive set of test documents

(regression testing)– Support for multilingual content on

Windows


odt2daisy Components (1)

● Java Open Document Library (JODL)● For ODT / XML preprocessing

● odt2daisy library● Converts ODT to DAISY XML (XSLT)● Validates output● Reusable Java library● Command line interface


odt2daisy Components (2)

● odt2daisy extension● Wrapper for other components:● Uses OpenOffice.org UNO API● Uses odt2daisy library● Uses DAISY Pipeline Lite (speech

synthesis)● Includes templates

● Templates with custom styles for DAISY production


Results (1)

● odt2daisy released November 2009● Tutorials in various formats (text,

DAISY, video)● Developer documentation● Test files for regression testing● TTS in 27 languages where eSpeak is

available (Linux, Windows)● Compatible with OOo Writer 3.0 or

higher and with LibOWriter


Results (2)

● Support for ODT features● Heading, List, Table, Images, Captions,

Notes, Foot/Rear notes, Math, TOC, Section, Frame, Bookmark, Metadata, ...

● Page numbering (1,i,I,a,A; advanced)● Front / body / rear matter● “Complex text layout” and East-Asian

languages not supported


Results (3)

● Release 2.1 in April 2010● Localisation in French, Dutch, Spanish

and Hungarian● Compatible with OpenOffice.org 3.2● Has been tested in first ÆGIS pilot

phase● Not yet compatible with 64-bit OSs● Integrated into DAISY Pipeline by

DAISY Consortium & Dedicon’s altText


Future Plans

● Support more ODT features ● Some were hard to parse (e.g.

multilingual text; “Asian” languages)● TTS quality:

● Users want more control over TTS output (DAISY Pipeline Lite)

● TTS as internet service/in cloud?● Fix bugs (numbered lists, math, image

captions & long description, ...)


Installing odt2daisy

● Download odt2daisy from http://odt2daisy.sf.net/

● In OOo or LibO Writer go to Tools -> Extension Manager... -> Add... to install it


Export to DAISY: 1

● Choose “Export as Full DAISY...” in File menu

● Choose file name and location in “Save as” dialogue

● Set metadata and options in odt2daisy dialog


Export to DAISY: 2

● Some metadata are copied from source

● “alternate level markup”: when > 6 levels of headings

● CSS: for viewing XML in browser

● Some automatic fix routines


Export to DAISY: 3

● odt2daisy converts ODT to DAISY XML● odt2daisy calls DAISY Pipeline Lite for

text-to-speech


Export to DAISY: 4

● DAISY Pipeline also performs validation, e.g. images must be JPG or PNG (or SVG)


odt2braille:Generating Braille from OpenOffice.org & LibreOffice



Motivation & Problem Area (1)

● Braille ● faces competition from TTS and digital

talking books● important for functional literacy● only reading method for deafblind

persons


Motivation & Problem Area (2)

● Braille production: current methods:● RoboBraille: e-mail based Braille translation

agent● AutoBraille & NorBraille: multi-volume Braille

books based on DAISY● Dots: open-source Braille transcriber for

GNOME (relies on liblouisxml)● Tiger Software Suite (TSS), Braille Maker,

WinBraille: embossing from MS Word and other Microsoft applications


Objectives

Enable end-users to produce Braille● In a free, open-source and cross-

platform office suite=> OpenOffice.org / LibreOffice as Braille authoring environment

● Reduce or eliminate the need for editing Braille codes after export

● Emboss directly or just export


Methodology

● Build OpenOffice.org extension● Reuse existing tools:

● liblouisxml: open-source library for Braille transcription of XML docs

● liblouis: Braille translation engine● pef2text (DAISY Pipeline): converts

Portable Embosser Format to generic or embosser-specific format

● library from odt2daisy


odt2braille Components


Results (1)

Alpha 0.03 released 2 December 2010:● OpenDocument Text (ODT) can be

embossed on small list of embossers (Interpoint, Index Braille, Braillo)

● Export to “Braille Formatted files” (.brf; .bra)

● Export to Portable Embosser Format (PEF): embosser-independent; uses XML and Unicode


Results (2)

● Braille settings stored as metadata in ODT

● Braille support for ± 30 languages, mainly through liblouis

● UI localised in ● English, Dutch, French, German,

Spanish, Portuguese,...● Currently only on Windows


odt2braille > liblouisxml (1)

odt2braille is more than a liblouis & liblouisxml wrapper (1)● Provide easy configuration through GUI● Create typical OOo/LibO experience● Translate easy-to-understand settings

to complex configuration files for liblouisxml



odt2braille is more than a liblouis & liblouisxml wrapper (2)● Convert ODT to intermediate XML

format:● Put captions after tables, move some style

info, add notes section, add title page● = for sequential processing by liblouis● (ODT is too complex to be handled by

liblouisxml alone)



odt2braille is more than a liblouis & liblouisxml wrapper (3)● Compensate for limitations of

liblouisxml● Volume management● Creation of notesections and preliminary

section containing title page, list of special symbols, transriber’s notes page and a table of contents



odt2braille is more than a liblouis & liblouisxml wrapper (4)● Store settings as metadata in ODT

document● Convert to PEF / various other output

formats● Provide output preview● Handle embossing


Installing odt2braille

● Download odt2braille from http://odt2braille.sf.net/

● In Writer go to Tools -> Extension Manager... -> Add... to install it

● New items in File menu


Braille Settings

● File -> Braille Settings

● odt2braille analyses document & suggests settings

● User can override settings


Export as Braille: 1

● File -> Export as Braille...

● Choose PEF (Portable Embosser Format), BRF (Braille Formatted) or BRA (Spain)

● Customise...


Export as Braille: 2

● odt2braille performs a few basic accessibility checks

● A full accessibility checker is being developed by K.U.Leuven (AEGIS)


Emboss

● File -> Emboss...● Few embossers

currently supported● Output can be

customised


Future Plans

● Support for larger set of embossers● Availability on non-Windows platforms● Extension to check accessibility in

OpenOffice.org / LibreOffice Writer● Display errors & warnings in task panel

(OOo / LibO 3.3+)● Description & hints for repair● Repair button when possible


Contact Information

● odt2daisy (LGPL 3):

http://odt2daisy.sf.net/ ● odt2braille (LGPL 3):

http://odt2braille.sf.net/ ● http://www.AEGIS-project.eu/ ● Twitter: aegisproj● Christophe Strobbe:

[email protected]

Documents

Fosdem 2011 odt2daisy odt2braille