Dolphin Producer

Create Accessible Education materials

With a variety of needs within the classroom it is difficult to find a solution that satisfies everyone’s requirements for educational content and information, at the right time and in a format that satisfies all the pupil’s requirements. Imagine a classroom environment that includes children with sight problems, language problems, print impairments, dyslexia and other learning issues. Is there a single solution that will deliver learning materials simply and easily in a format that satisfies all their requirements? Can teachers, secretariats, administrators and assistants create their own educational materials from existing formats, which will support the requirements of all pupils?

The answer is YES!

Dolphin Producer combines a simple word reading tool and a revolutionary DAISY Digital Talking Book creation tool. It allows on-screen information to be converted into audio and read back directly from the computer, as well as quickly converting the on-screen text into a fully synchronised text and audio DAISY book – the perfect solution for anyone affected by print impairment.

Easy to use

All of the functionality of Dolphin Producer is available from the simple to use toolbar. The toolbar is automatically loaded within Microsoft® Word® , and can be positioned anywhere on the screen. By using the simple Dolphin Producer toolbar, Word ® documents can be read back instantly from within Word ® , with the text being highlighted in time with the corresponding audio.

Text colours and word highlighting colours can all be customised to suit the individual’s requirements. Navigation controls allow the user to move through the document quickly and easily, by word, sentence or paragraph.

Accessible Digital Talking Books in an instant

View and listen to the information whenever and wherever you want to, by creating a DAISY Digital Talking Book (DTB). Using Dolphin Producer, a fully synchronised text and audio DTB can be created by the press of a button, from the toolbar. No longer do teachers have to spend large amounts of time manipulating existing materials to support special requirements, such as large print formats or colour manipulation. By using Dolphin Producer and a TTS (text to speech) speech synthesizer, all the document text can be converted into a structured DTB. The DTB can be played back on the computer, using Dolphin’s EaseReader DAISY player, which is supplied as part of Dolphin Producer.

Users also have the ability to copy and save their own DTB onto a CD, so that the book can be played back on any other portable DAISY DTB player or MP3 player. The choice is yours!

The benefits of Digital Talking Books

A Digital Talking Book combines all of the features of the written text and the audio recordings of the text, in a single structured format. By combining and synchronising the text and audio in this way, you have the option of reading the text and listening to the recordings independently or simultaneously. As the audio is played, the corresponding text is highlighted - providing a totally accessible and multi sensory experience.

People remember:

• 10% of what they read.

• 20% of what they hear.

• 30% of what they see.

• 50% of what they hear and see.

The perfect solution

Dolphin Producer is the ideal solution for converting course materials, revision notes, magazines, periodicals and reports into fully synchronised text and audio DTBs books. Teachers, lecturers and students alike are able to create their own fully interactive DTBs from many different sources, including Microsoft™ Word ® documents and PDFs. Using a speech synthesiser text files can be converted into audio at the press of a button and automatically synchronised with the text. Now as the book is read aloud the corresponding words are highlighted.

EaseReader – Advanced Digital Talking Book player for computers

Dolphin Producer also incorporates Dolphin’s latest EaseReader DAISY player, so playing your DTBs could not be simpler. EaseReader is widely recognised as the leading DAISY player for computers and allows users to fully customise and alter the on screen appearance and playback of the book. Problem colours can be altered and changed; fonts, backgrounds and highlighting colours can all be manipulated easily within EaseReader. Font sizes can be adjusted, to offer large print alternatives. You are able to search the full contents of the book for specific words or phrases and add your own bookmarks and notes. The possibilities are endless.

Dolphin Producer creates DAISY books that are fully searchable and totally inclusive for all. Recent evaluations have proven that the use of Digital Talking Books in the classroom can be beneficial for pupils with special needs as well as mainstream pupils.

Key Features

Dolphin Producer offers high quality speech output and much more…

• Read text from any part of a Microsoft™ Word ® document.

• Synchronised word highlighting and playback options.

• Navigate through Microsoft™ Word ® documents quickly and easily, by word, sentence or paragraph.

• Eliminate problem colours by altering the text highlighting options and background colour options.

• Create fully synchronised text and audio Digital Talking Books in an instant

• Save and copy DTBs onto CD for playback on any compatible portable player or MP3 player.

• Automatic mark up of words, sentences or paragraphs - you decide!

• Automatic mark up of all document headings and page numbers

• Incorporates Dolphin’s EaseReader software player

• Fully customisable DTB playback features

• Font sizes, colours and styles

• Text, background and highlight colours

• Playback speed

• Add bookmarks and audio notes

• Full search and find features