[nabs-l] College Course Material: Accessible eTextBooks, Braille, and Tactile Graphics

Sat Apr 2 15:36:50 UTC 2011

Is it accessible with both Voice Over and JFW?

On Apr 2, 2011, at 10:32 AM, Kevin Chao wrote:

> CourseSmart started work in Spring 2010 to be accessible to all,
> including those with print-disabilities.
> 
> I'll detail a brief timeline:
> * Spring and Summer 2010: lots of work went into making website,
> downloadable reader, and web reader accessible.
> * Fall 2010: Downloadable reader was made accessible; partnered with
> AMAC and AccessTextNetwork to form STudent E-Rental Pilot Project
> (STEPP) with a grant from Department of Education (DOE).
> * Springg2011: Web reader was made very accessible and includes
> remediation/tagging from AMAC.
> * Over next 2-years, STEPP with DOE funding will continue to work on
> affordable, accessible, innovative, and great eTextBook rental pilot
> project.
> 
> STEPP has many goals, including making eTextBooks a reality to all,
> including print-disabled, ADA and section 504 compliance, and
> streamlining process in this space.
> 
> CourseSmart has sample and full eTextBooks, which are fully accessible
> Due to publishers and DRM, there is one caveat. If using Web reader,
> in order  for book text to be accessible, one must email
> accessibility at coursesmart.com informing that one is a screen reader
> user and screen reader flag must be enabled. If this is not done,
> experience will be what sighted have, where book text is a picture of
> physical page.
> This  limitation does not exist if one is using downloadable reader.
> 
> Please for all questions, concerns, and suggestions about CourseSmart
> accessibility:
> accessibility at coursesmart.com
> is an absolutely fantastic contact.
> 
> Kevin
> 
> 
> On 4/1/11, Valerie Gibson <valandkayla at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi,
>> 
>> I've tried using coursesmart and one of their online books about a year ago,
>> and it wasn't accessible on mac or windows.
>> Valerie Gibson
>> Check out my facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/puppyLove3
>> or follow me on twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/valerie_gibson
>> Skype me at: WolfDragonVal
>> I'm also  on windowslive messenger: valandkayla at gmail.com
>> 
>> On Apr 1, 2011, at 9:20 PM, Greg Wocher wrote:
>> 
>>> Hello Kevin,
>>> That is strange.  I tried using an online book from there a few months ago
>>> and I could not get it to work at all.  How did you get it to work?  I
>>> could not find any of the text for the book I tried.
>>> Thanks,
>>> Greg W.
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kevin Chao" <kevinchao89 at gmail.com>
>>> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
>>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Friday, April 01, 2011 3:00 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] College Course Material: Accessible eTextBooks,
>>> Braille,and Tactile Graphics
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> Online is most accessible and actively developed
>>>> 
>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>> 
>>>> On Apr 1, 2011, at 7:55 PM, "Greg Wocher" <gwblindman1 at gwblindman.org>
>>>> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> Hello Kevin,
>>>>> I have been looking at course smart for a little bit now.  Do you use
>>>>> their online books or do you use their downloadable reader?
>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>> Greg W.
>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kevin Chao" <kevinchao89 at gmail.com>
>>>>> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
>>>>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>>>>> Sent: Friday, April 01, 2011 2:36 PM
>>>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] College Course Material: Accessible eTextBooks,
>>>>> Braille, and Tactile Graphics
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>>> Yes, I've used CourseSmart and AMAC and find them to be absolutely
>>>>>> invaluable resources.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> The various aspects that I really enjoy about CourseSmart and AMAC
>>>>>> will be detailed below.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> CourseSmart
>>>>>> * Mainstream access to eTextBooks
>>>>>> * Affordable, timely, and true access
>>>>>> * in-book, chapter, or section searches.
>>>>>> *Very effectively and easily  navigate table of contents (chapters,
>>>>>> sections, etc)
>>>>>> * Jump to specific page
>>>>>> * Highly tagged/marked-up: headings 1-5 for structured navigation,
>>>>>> alttext for description of graphics, table for formatted
>>>>>> representation of data, and lists for nicely formatted bullet points.
>>>>>> * Accessibility at CourseSmart.com is extremely committed, fast, and
>>>>>> great about resolving  everything.
>>>>>> * Works with Windows (NVDA and JAWS); Mac OS X and iOS (VoiceOver);
>>>>>> Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Alternative Media Access Center (AMAC)
>>>>>> * DSS, institutions, organizations, and companies have no excuse to
>>>>>> provide braille, tactile graphics, or other alternative media.
>>>>>> * Affordable, timely, and extremely high-quality
>>>>>> * Fantastic and wonderful support
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Kevin
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> On 4/1/11, Arielle Silverman <nabs.president at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>> Has anyone used either of these two products discussed below?
>>>>>>> If so, did you find them accessible and easy to use?
>>>>>>> Arielle
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> On 4/1/11, Kevin Chao <kevinchao89 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>> I would like to share two fantastic resources for any college student
>>>>>>>> or instructor, which I think should be advocated for, encouraged, and
>>>>>>>> utilized by all.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Like most, I've used human readers, scanned books, used RFB&D, and
>>>>>>>> worked with disabled students services to get eTextBooks from
>>>>>>>> publisher. All these things served their purposes and time, and it's
>>>>>>>> time to move on.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> In fall of 2010, I broke away from the status quo, which includes:
>>>>>>>> not
>>>>>>>> using RFB&D, not scanning textbooks,  and not having to be so reliant
>>>>>>>> on disabled student services. Two companies have made this possible:
>>>>>>>> CourseSmart and AMAC.  This has allowed equal access, independence,
>>>>>>>> and a true forward studying experience.  It's never been possible for
>>>>>>>> us as blind students, instructors, or even providers to use an
>>>>>>>> innovative eTextBook service.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> * CourseSmart for mainstream, accessible, and highly marked-up 60%
>>>>>>>> off
>>>>>>>> eTextBooks
>>>>>>>> * Alternative Media Access Center (AMAC) for affordable,
>>>>>>>> high-quality,
>>>>>>>> and efficient braille and tactile graphics for textbooks, exams,
>>>>>>>> handouts, assignments, etc
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> http://www.CourseSmart.com is a mainstream accessible eTextBook
>>>>>>>> rental
>>>>>>>> service, which all students can take advantage of. This includes
>>>>>>>> students with or without print-related disabilities (blind, low
>>>>>>>> vision, learning disabled).
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> http://www.amac.uga.edu Alternative Media Access Center (AMAC) will
>>>>>>>> work with institutions to provide braille, tactile graphics, and
>>>>>>>> remediated eText. AMAC has very high-quality and standards and will
>>>>>>>> lift
>>>>>>>> stress off DSS, allowing DSS to focus on providing service, not
>>>>>>>> content.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> This is the now and future of how students, instructors, and all in
>>>>>>>> post-secondary education will obtain, work with, and enjoy accessible
>>>>>>>> course material.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Kevin
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> Arielle Silverman
>>>>>>> President, National Association of Blind Students
>>>>>>> Phone:  602-502-2255
>>>>>>> Email:
>>>>>>> nabs.president at gmail.com
>>>>>>> Website:
>>>>>>> www.nabslink.org
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
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>>>>> 
>>>>> 
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>>> 
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>> 
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> 
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