Saturday, June 25, 2022
No Result
View All Result
Asbarez.com
NEWSLETTER
ՀԱՅ
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • Community
  • Arts & Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Critics’ Forum
  • Op-Ed
    • Editorial
    • Opinon
    • Letters
  • Columns
    • By Any Means
    • My Turn
    • Three Apples
    • Community Links
    • Critics’ Forum
    • My Name is Armen
    • Living in Armenia
  • Videos
  • Sports
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • Community
  • Arts & Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Critics’ Forum
  • Op-Ed
    • Editorial
    • Opinon
    • Letters
  • Columns
    • By Any Means
    • My Turn
    • Three Apples
    • Community Links
    • Critics’ Forum
    • My Name is Armen
    • Living in Armenia
  • Videos
  • Sports
No Result
View All Result
Asbarez.com
ՀԱՅ
No Result
View All Result

Armenian iBooks Initiative Brings Literature to the Little Screen

by Contributor
October 2, 2013
in Armenia, Arts & Culture, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories
1
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Lorin yev Naregeh Hayasdani Metch by Aline Bezdikian is one of the latest additions to the Armenian iBooks collection

YEREVAN—Associate professors from Yerevan State University, Dr. Ruben Mirakyan and Dr. Marat Yavrumyan, were concerned when, working closely with youth on a daily basis, they observed directly the continual trend towards diminishing literacy and decreased interest towards reading. Concerned that Armenia, once one of the most literate countries in the world, has recently lost its position and that reading has become more an educational obligation rather than an intellectual pastime, the professors decided to seek a remedy. Looking for the reasons and issues behind the problem of decreased readership and seeing how technology comes to occupy the lives of the youth, the professors decided to combine the two. Thus, they established the Armenian iBook Initiative in November of 2012.

The initial goal of the project was to contribute to the dissemination of American classic literature in the Armenian language through the creation of electronic books – available for various devices and readers (running on iOS and Android platforms) in Armenia and abroad.

For the professors, electronic books offer a range of conveniences. Because the content of an e-book is delivered electronically to one’s device or computer, it provides the convenience of having multiple books available at any given time, without the trouble of transportation. Most of the advantages of electronic books, such as paper saving, will continue to offer benefits as the technology evolves. Electronic books, additionally, cost less to purchase, are easy to store and retrieve, and allow for the integration of multimedia materials such as videos, interactive 3D models, and Internet hyperlinks. The professors hope that these modern features, being attractive to the youth, will contribute to an increase in youth readership and the enrichment of their knowledge in Armenian literature and culture.

Since November of 2012, the initiative has managed to offer more than two dozen electronic books. The collection is being developed on a weekly basis. Through the Armenian iBooks Initiative, Armenian electronic books are now available in 50 countries around the world through the Apple App Store and Google Play, legible on smart phones, tablets, and various e-book readers.

Armenian literature here is presented in a new, entertaining and interactive way. A series of books that are designed specially for children and teenagers offers various volumes from Hovhannes Tumanyan’s fairy tales to Khnko Aper’s fables and from translations of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol to Robin Hood.

A series of the classics contains Hakop Paronean’s Honorable Beggars, Vahan Teryan’s Dreams of Twilight, Yeghishe Charents’s Land of Nairi and much more.

One of the primary goals of the initiative is to make the Armenian literary heritage available to readers in the diaspora. Language, the professors believe, is at the basis of national identity and is especially in need of preservation in foreign counties, where it is rarely used by children and youth.

Yet, another important component of the initiative is to present Armenian culture, literature, and history to any interested citizen of the world. The founders present different books on Armenian history, culture, cuisine, and lifestyle in English for all readers.

The Armenian iBooks Initiative is a group of people aiming for the digitization of Armenian literature: editors, proofreaders, illustrators, and curators in charge of finding the necessary literature in archives and, together with the team, preparing the necessary materials for the project.

The process of the digitization and the formation of the final product starts with the organization, selection, and digitization of materials through various scanning and text recognition methods. The digitized material is then edited, proofread, and tested on iOS and Android devices. Designs and illustrations are added to selected books after digitization.
Recently, in collaboration with the Armenian iBooks Initiative, contemporary children’s author and long-time Hamazkayin member, Aline Bezdikian, has released a collection of her books in electronic form, which are now legible on Apple devices.

Three of Bezdikian’s books can be downloaded for $3.99 each from the Apple iTunes Store. Namagner Dikran Metsin, Lorin yev Naregeh Hayasdani Metch, and Loriyin yev Naregin Amarnayin Jambareh are the titles recently added to Apple’s iBooks.

The Hamazkayin Educational and Cultural Association says it is proud of this milestone. It is worth mentioning that Bezdikian’s 8th book, Lori and Nareg’s Summer Camp, was partially sponsored by Hamazkayin’s Rita Demirjjian Fund.

Bezdikian’s books were published in cooperation with Ruben Mirakyan, associated professor of the Yerevan State University and founder of the Armenian iBooks Initiative.

More than 40 books in Armenian are available today for Apple devices.

Contributor

Contributor

Next Post

L.A. County Workers March, Demand Fair Bargain

Comments 1

  1. Լուսին says:
    9 years ago

    Getse Aline! I have “Lorin yev Nareguh Hayastani Mech” and “Namagner Dikran Medzin” and both are terrific. Congratulations and more power to you.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Լուսին Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

Homenetmen Returns to LACC with Epic Musical Performances for 45th Navasartian Games

Homenetmen Returns to LACC with Epic Musical Performances for 45th Navasartian Games

3 hours ago
8 Artists to be Featured in ‘Dreams in Deixis’ Exhibition at Tufenkian Gallery

8 Artists to be Featured in ‘Dreams in Deixis’ Exhibition at Tufenkian Gallery

1 day ago

Connect with us

  • About
  • Advertising
  • Subscribe
  • Contact

© 2021 Asbarez | All Rights Reserved | Powered By MSDN Solutions Inc.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • Community
  • Arts & Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Critics’ Forum
  • Op-Ed
    • Editorial
    • Opinon
    • Letters
  • Columns
    • By Any Means
    • My Turn
    • Three Apples
    • Community Links
    • Critics’ Forum
    • My Name is Armen
    • Living in Armenia
  • Videos
  • Sports

© 2021 Asbarez | All Rights Reserved | Powered By MSDN Solutions Inc.

Accessibility

Accessibility modes

Epilepsy Safe Mode
Dampens color and removes blinks
This mode enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode
Improves website's visuals
This mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode
Helps to focus on specific content
This mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode
Reduces distractions and improve focus
This mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode
Allows using the site with your screen-reader
This mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.

Online Dictionary

    Readable Experience

    Content Scaling
    Default
    Text Magnifier
    Readable Font
    Dyslexia Friendly
    Highlight Titles
    Highlight Links
    Font Sizing
    Default
    Line Height
    Default
    Letter Spacing
    Default
    Left Aligned
    Center Aligned
    Right Aligned

    Visually Pleasing Experience

    Dark Contrast
    Light Contrast
    Monochrome
    High Contrast
    High Saturation
    Low Saturation
    Adjust Text Colors
    Adjust Title Colors
    Adjust Background Colors

    Easy Orientation

    Mute Sounds
    Hide Images
    Virtual Keyboard
    Reading Guide
    Stop Animations
    Reading Mask
    Highlight Hover
    Highlight Focus
    Big Dark Cursor
    Big Light Cursor
    Navigation Keys

    Asbarez.com Accessibility Statement

    Accessibility Statement

    • asbarez.com
    • June 25, 2022

    Compliance status

    We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of circumstance and ability.

    To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level. These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.

    This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.

    Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML, adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.

    If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email

    Screen-reader and keyboard navigation

    Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements, alongside console screenshots of code examples:

    1. Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website. In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels; descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups), and others. Additionally, the background process scans all of the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology. To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on as soon as they enter the website.

      These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.

    2. Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside of it.

      Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

    Disability profiles supported in our website

    • Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
    • Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
    • Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
    • ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
    • Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
    • Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

    Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments

    1. Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
    2. Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over 7 different coloring options.
    3. Animations – epileptic users can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
    4. Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
    5. Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
    6. Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
    7. Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.

    Browser and assistive technology compatibility

    We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers), both for Windows and for MAC users.

    Notes, comments, and feedback

    Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs, there may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to