[nabs-l] A National Standard Re: Obtaining electronic text

[Nicole B. Torcolini at Home]

And it is things like this that are the reason that I think that there 
should be some kind of national standard or at least guidelines as to what 
DRC's should provide.

Nicole


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 05, 2011 6:45 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Obtaining electronic text


> 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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