DAISY books are digital talking books. Traditionally, they have been provided as a desktop application. However, these can be costly, hard to find and are often fragile to use too. There was no web-based DAISY player, so Microsoft asked Intergen to design and build just such an application that would allow blind and partially sighted people to read, listen to and navigate through DAISY.

As well as opening up a new world of possibilities, the application also showcases Silverlight 2.0’s excellent capabilities.

Rich and accessible
Once upon a time, there were traditional HTML-based web applications. But life moves on, and Microsoft and Intergen feel they have broken new ground by designing a rich-internet application for visually impaired users that is fully accessible. The ButtercupReader reference application is designed to showcase the accessibility features in Silverlight. However, it is also valuable in its own right, in that it does so by providing an application to read DAISY talking books that out-rivals the interactivity and usability of desktop applications. It is also accessible to an enormous potential audience, as it runs right inside a web browser.

Many of us take it for granted that we can pick up a book and flick through its pages. By employing Silverlight's accessibility features, ButtercupReader lets the visually impaired read DAISY books.

The only online Digital Talking Book Reader available, Buttercup helps the visually impaired open and read a DAISY talking book in a way that has been almost unthinkable until now. It does this through a variety of means, including self-voicing (in Internet Explorer), touch-screen gestures, keyboard short-cuts, word search, re-sizing and the use of contrast capabilities. For the partially sighted, Buttercup provides rich visual elements. The extra clarity and zoom-ability provided are made possible by Silverlight’s vector-based UI technology.

The Royal Foundation for the Blind, which was consulted throughout Buttercup’s development, says Buttercup is "unbelievably smooth".

Buttercup also makes a huge variety of colour variations possible. Navigation is easy and intuitive, and is achieved by means of Silverlight's out-of-the box User Interface Automation (UIA) capabilities. ButtercupReader can also be a touch-screen experience, which overcomes the need to be able to see a mouse on screen and means the application can also be used by those with limited motor skills.

A cross-platform offering, ButtercupReader can run on both Macs and PCs. All the user needs is Microsoft Silverlight, which is free and takes just a few seconds to download.

Eight weeks to birth
ButtercupReader took just eight weeks to build – from concept to showcase. It's a technology story that not only benefits the visually impaired, but has also really stretched the boundaries of what Silverlight can do, says Chris Auld, Intergen's new technology and strategy expert.

"It shows that not only can we build an application that’s accessible, but we can also build one whose key purpose in life is to provide an accessible experience," he says.

Read all about it…
ButtercupReader delivers a visually rich, interactive, intuitive web-based experience for visually impaired people to both play and enjoy DAISY talking books. Read all about it at: www.ButtercupReader.net

For more information
Intergen
www.intergen.co.nz

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