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

Sat Apr 2 15:59:45 UTC 2011

Yes, it's platform, browser, and screen reader agnostic.
I use it with JAWS, NVDA, and VoiceOver (Mac OS X and iOS)
This is what I've been using for past 6 months and would not even
consider going back to status quo of:
audio books, scanning books, and using human readers.

Equal access to an innovative eTextBook rental platform.

Kevin

On 4/2/11, Jorge Paez <computertechjorgepaez at gmail.com> wrote:
> 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
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>> nabs-l mailing list
>>>>>>>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
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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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