A Constellation of Alternative Textbook Providers

Transcript:A Constellation of Alternative Textbook Providers:
A Constellation of Alternative Textbook Providers Alice Carnes, M.A. Disability Counselor Central Piedmont Community College Why e-text books Standard print textbooks are often not accessible to students with disabilities. blindness, low vision, learning disabilities, or mobility impairments—may make standard print very difficult or completely impossible to read. Transformation of print textbooks into alternate formats is often necessary. alternate formats include Braille, large print, audio, or electronic text. publishers do not generally produce specialized alternative format materials like Braille, many textbook publishers do create electronic versions that can be used with many types of assistive technologies. Options AccessTextNetwork ATN Alternative Media Access Center Bookshare CourseSmart Learning Ally (formerly RFB&D) National Library Service AccessTextNetwork http://www.accesstext.org/about.php Improving College Textbook Accessibility a streamlined system a free clearinghouse to request textbooks from a variety of publishers: AccessTextNetwork Publishers Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishing Cengage Learning CQ Press Elsevier F.A. Davis Company John Wiley & Sons Jones & Bartlett Learning Lynne Rienner Publishers McGraw-Hill Education Pearson Education Springer Publishing W.W. Norton AccessTextNetwork Students receive e-text in a couple of days Search tool using the ISBN# determines: where it is available what format If the files are too big to be sent electronically you will have to wait for a CD to arrive in the mail. Alternative Media Access Center http://www.amacusg.org/ The Alternative Media Access Center (AMAC) is committed to removing barriers for individuals with disabilities by improving the human condition through technology in academic and workplace environments. AMAC’s Products and Services Accessible document conversion to electronic, audio or braille formats Specialized assistive technology software AMAC's web-based application for ordering, delivery, tracking and reporting Student textbook and software download center Student Accommodation Manager (SAM) software Technical support services Learning Ally http://www.learningally.org/ Formerly RFB&D Annual student fee of $80.00 per year Recorded by volunteers Purchase of additional equipment may be necessary Many students prefer the human voice to computerized voices Bookshare Accessible Books and Periodicals for Readers with Print Disabilities Bookshare® is free for all U.S. students with qualifying disabilities, thanks to an award from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). Bookshare dramatically increases the accessibility of books. People with disabilities deserve the same ease of access to books and periodicals that people without disabilities enjoy. A searchable online library. Bookshare offers approximately 125,000 digital books, textbooks, teacher-recommended reading, periodicals and assistive technology tools. Readers of all ages. Bookshare offers affordable membership, unlimited