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You have to learn to let go. The idea that books, magazines, databases or any form of information source can and should be kept for perpetuity is laughable. Items in a library need to be weeded and space is the major reason why. I know all of you want to keep your precious books, and I do to. But who’s going to pay for it, you?... — the other me

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December 5, 2008

Project Works to Format Textbooks for Disabled Students

It’s tough enough to afford textbooks these days. Students with disabilities that make it hard to read standard type sizes face another challenge: getting textbooks in formats they can use.

The Association of American Publishers and the Alternative Media Access Center, part of the University System of Georgia, have come up with a way to help: AccessText Network, a “membership exchange network” that will serve as a clearinghouse for publishers and campus-based disability-service offices.

The idea, as the project’s Web site describes it, is to “facilitate and support the nationwide delivery of alternative files for students with diagnosed print-related disabilities.” AccessText will be a conduit for information about what is available and in what formats. Campus disability offices will be able to convey that information to students, who can then order what best fits their needs.

Eventually AccessText will charge a nominal membership fee. Several big textbook publishers — including Bedford/St. Martin’s, Cengage Learning, McGraw-Hill Education, Pearson, Reed Elsevier, and W.W. Norton — have agreed to foot the bill for the next year or so.

Christopher M. Lee, director of the Alternative Media Access Center, is leading the project. The lack of a coordinated network has been hard not just on students but on colleges’ disability-service offices, whose staff members put a lot of time and money into converting standard textbooks, he said.

“The cost, the time, the lack of a systemized approach, the lack of education on what is alternative media and what is assisted media — the education piece needs to be better,” Mr. Lee said. “I’d say we have a long way to go, and AccessText will definitely push us several steps forward.” —Jennifer Howard

Comments

1. Will it also improve access to braille versions and spoken text or type to speech texts for vision and hearing impaired students?

   — Hawaii Professor    Dec 8, 09:57 PM    #

2. A good question, Hawaii Professor. Currently, what disability offices receive from publishers – when we can get it – is either PDFs or Word documents that often need several further steps in order to make them accessible for the student. While I’m hopeful that this initiative from the publishers is a step in the right direction, I also hope that they will move toward the creation of truly accessible books in multiple formats. I’d really love to give up the alternate text production part of my job, especially if it means that a student has faster access to books.

   — Shawn    Dec 9, 10:50 AM    #

3. Will this clearing house be available to institutions in Canada? It sounds like a wonderful idea!

   — Russell    Dec 9, 11:35 AM    #

4. i need to understandard this

   — okwuenu paul emeka    Dec 15, 04:50 PM    #

Commenting is closed for this article.

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