[nabs-l] Obtaining electronic text

Sun Feb 6 02:45:11 UTC 2011

Brigitte,
That is great the DSO helps you and scans chapters as needed. That is what 
upsets me too. The largest community college in VA does not have the ability 
to scan books; or that's what I'm told!  They say that they don't have the 
software such as Abby fine reader or Omni pro, I think that's the name, to 
scan books for students!
Its so rediculous.  Oh they also do not belong to a database that allows 
universities/colleges to share scanned books!
I think its called Access text. George Mason university, the nearest four 
year college, belongs and does what your school does, scans books for 
students as long as they purchased a book.
Of  course I use RFB and like you prefer the
live voice too over speech.  I also have used NLS and BARd on rare ocassions 
because they have novels, not textbooks; but sometimes for english or 
history classes that require readings like that NLS has come in handy.
For instance I read the Prince, The Cruicible, and part of Death of a 
salesman that way.

Glad to know about your college; sounds like its standard practice for DSOs 
to scan books and either put them on CD or send them to the student via 
email.
That is how it was at Marymount.  They scanned by the chapter.  Not so at 
Nova though.

Ashley

-----Original Message----- 
From: Bridgit Pollpeter
Sent: Saturday, February 05, 2011 6:23 PM
To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nabs-l] Obtaining electronic text

I know each Disability Office is different, but I try to involve myself
as much as possible in the process.  With PDF documents that are long, I
request they be broken up by chapter, or at least in smaller sections.
I have said I prefer Word documents, and they do what they can, but of
course I can not get everything in Word.

We also look for text available in all formats like RFBD, Book Share and
we contact the publishers directly sometimes.  A lot of times, I
purchase books and the DSO scans them.  Usually they send them by the
chapter.  I either receive emails with attachments for material, or they
use a feature on Blackboard called the X drive where I can download the
material.

I do use NLS and BARD at times, but usually in conjunction with
electronic copies since page numbers are not listed for NLS books.  It
is nice to have a live voice narrating over an electronic one, though I
have grown use to JAWS's drone!

Book Share was an adjustment for me because I use the text files on my
Victor Stream because I have a nerve condition and Braille is not always
the most efficient method.  The text files sound funny at times, but now
that I am use to it, it is actually nice because, like other electronic
versions, I can read line by line, para by para, spell words and other
features similar to how we use computers.  I download Book Share files
on my own at home.  Funny story though.  My DSO thought Book Share was a
software you downloaded, they didn't realize, one, you needed a
membership, and two, it required a device like a Victor and/or Braille
display.  In fact, they thought the software was the Victor Stream.  I
had to explain this to them.

Again, each DSO has their format for gathering and distributing
material, but be aware of how other institutions do things so you can
make suggestions, and do not hesitate to make request; the worse they
can do is say no.  Also, try to be knowledgeable of different options so
you can be helpful with methods that may be unfamiliar to your DSO, or
at least know someone who can provide this information.

Bridgit

Message: 9
Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2011 15:06:08 -0500
From: "Marsha Drenth" <marsha.drenth at gmail.com>
To: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'"
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] obtaining electronic texts
Message-ID: <AE27D4778D98498EAD071EAC711B091B at Cptr233>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Wow that seems very complicated. My college has me sign a form, they
request the book, and then it comes from the publisher on a CD as a PDF
file. Last semester that was not sucha good thing, as the PDF was huge
and very hard to handle. I converted it to a Text file and then it was
all good. I got another book this way again this semester. Haven't had
to do much with it so I don't know what it is like.

Sorry your college way is so complicated.

Marsha

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