DAISY Consortium: information technology for the world’s blind and print‐disabled population – past, present, and into the future

The DAISY Consortium created the first digital talking book (DTB) and this is now known worldwide as the DAISY format. The DAISY DTB is the application of existing worldwide standards used to define the next generation of information technology for people who are blind and print disabled. The acronym DAISY, digital audio‐based information system, is a name both for a reading system and for the consortium of libraries, non‐profit organizations and for‐profit Friends of the Consortium around the world that spearhead the development of the International standard. This article will briefly trace the history of DAISY’s development and go on to explain the current activities and future plans for the single worldwide standard.