[Blindmath] NFB NABS: STEPP/CourseSmart Mainstream Accessible eTextBooks Presentation

[Kevin Chao]

CourseSmart hasn't always been accessible, but work started before I
found out about them, and incredible improvements have been made in
the past 8 months. The accessibility is as  a result of feedback and
commitment from multiple parties.

STEM is a difficult area, especially when it comes to accessible
textbooks, material, and tools. Fortunately, part of STEPP grant, has
goal of accessible STEM eTextBooks. I'm very much pushing, advocating,
and pressuring for this to succeed.

Challenge is implementation, best user interface, and user experience.

It would be great to know your thoughts on how STEPP could best
present STEM eTextBooks.

There are a variety of possibilities, such as HTML5, ePub 3.0, MathML,
and LaTeX.

However, it would be great to have input on what you would like.

Ideally, it would work multi-OS, multi-browser, and multi-screen reader.

Kevin

On 6/4/11, Sarah Jevnikar <sarah.jevnikar at utoronto.ca> wrote:
> This is truly a great resource. It gives instant access to books at a
> reduced price, and they seem committed to accessibility, largely I believe
> due to the work of Kevin Chao.
>
> Unfortunately it doesn't work with STEM books. I tried it with an advanced
> statistics book and was disappointed. I printed several pages as pdf files
> using PDFill PDF Editor (another great program, discovered by Roopakshi),
> converted them to LaTeX with InftyReader, then opened them in Duxbury 10.4
> and saved them as brf files. The LaTeX output was garbled, causing garbling
> of the Braille too.
>
> Course Smart provides 14-day free trials of books, so if anyone wants to
> experiment with them it will cost nothing. Can anyone think of workarounds
> for this? Am I missing a step somewhere? Can you imagine how amazing it'd be
> if we could have instant access to all books, not just non-STEM material?
>
> Sarah
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Kevin Chao
> Sent: June 4, 2011 3:16 PM
> To: kevinchao89
> Subject: [Blindmath] NFB NABS: STEPP/CourseSmart Mainstream Accessible
> eTextBooks Presentation
>
> Please join STEPP for 20 minutes on July 4, 6:15 - 10:00 pm-NATIONAL
> ASSOCIATION OF BLIND STUDENTS (NABS)
> At Panzacola G-1 Ballroom, Level 1
>
> STEPP - STudent E-rent Pilot Project Wiki has goals, docs, advisory
> panel, meeting, agenda, and panel member's info.
> http://stepp.gatech.edu/index.php?title=Main_Page
>
> STEPP will present, demonstrate (Windows Firefox NVDA and iOS Safari
> VoiceOver), and discuss http://www.CourseSmart.com eTextBook reader,
> which is intended for higher education (college/university)
> professors, students, disabled student services, and anyone in
> post-secondary education.
>
> CourseSmart is very unique, innovative, and now/future. It is world's
> largest eTextBooks portal, mainstream, accessible, 60% off textbooks,
> instant, anywhere, multi-platform, and multi-screen reader support.
>
> STEPP look forwards to having the great opportunity, privilege, and
> honor in presenting, demonstrating, and discussing CourseSmart.com
> Reader with you.
>
> CourseSmart.com has been around since 2007 and accessible since August 2010.
>
> STEPP
>
> _______________________________________________
> Blindmath mailing list
> Blindmath at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindmath_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> Blindmath:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindmath_nfbnet.org/sarah.jevnikar%40
> utoronto.ca
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Blindmath mailing list
> Blindmath at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindmath_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> Blindmath:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindmath_nfbnet.org/kevinchao89%40gmail.com
>