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

Sun Feb 6 06:33:23 UTC 2011

I'm attending Phillips Community College in DeWitt, Arkansas. The
Department of Services for the Blind won't pay to get me a Pac Mate.
I've gone down that road. They're immovable. I'm tired of them. When
they do decide to help me, they're too slow about getting it done. The
DSB should stand for, "dumb scam for the blind." Blessings, Joshua

On 2/6/11, Nicole B. Torcolini at Home <ntorcolini at wavecable.com> wrote:
> Are you going to college in your home state? Does your home state have a
> department of services for the blind?
>
> ----- 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 8:36 PM
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] A National Standard Re: Obtaining electronic text
>
>
>> Joshua,
>> You can obtain braille books through web braille sponsored by NLS and read
>>
>> that way if you have a braille display on a notetaker or you can get
>> braille books from your NLS regional library.
>> I'd encourage you to read and keep up your braille skills; no braile since
>>
>> convention is a long time!
>> I also agree that braille texts in college would be wonderful especially
>> for english classes where you need to read more carefully for analysis and
>>
>> getting quotes.
>> But braille is seldom available but some universities will give you
>> braille for math and science if you really push for it.
>>
>> Nicole, I also agree we need a national standard as to what DRCs are
>> supposed to provide.
>> Again, I believe most universities/colleges do scan books or obtain books
>> from publishers; its just that nova doesn't because they have not bought
>> those resources.  Heck they do not even have an updated jaws.  Its
>> rediculous services are lacking.
>> I'm using readers since I can't get books in accessible format.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Joshua Lester
>> Sent: Saturday, February 05, 2011 10:33 PM
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] A National Standard Re: Obtaining electronic text
>>
>> You are all talking about scanning books. I wish we could go back to
>> Braille. The sad thing is, that I haven't read any Braille since the
>> NFB convention. They don't offer college textbooks in Braille in
>> Arkansas. This drives me mad! If our textbooks were available on
>> Bookshare, I'd get them. Blessings, Joshua
>>
>> On 2/5/11, Nicole B. Torcolini at Home <ntorcolini at wavecable.com> wrote:
>>> 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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