Efforts to level the playing field for print-disabled readers received a major boost this week with news that Microsoft is developing a tool for Microsoft Word, to be released as a downloadable plug-in at no charge early next year, that will enable the translation of millions of Open XML documents into DAISY XML, the lingua franca of the globally accepted Digital Access Information SYstem, or DAISY, standard for digital talking books.

The DAISY Consortium, a coalition of talking-book libraries and nonprofit organizations, was formed in 1996 to harness the rich capabilities opened up by the transition from analog to digital technology to ensure that all published information is available to people with print disabilities at the same time and at no greater cost in accessible, feature-rich, navigable format.

DAISY-formatted files enable users to scroll through auditory content using simple keystrokes to hone in on specific sections, and configure its playback to skip over items like footnotes.

DAISY material can be played on dedicated devices or on PCs by installing special software.