[nabs-l] Obtaining electronic text

Sun Feb 6 18:14:04 UTC 2011

Do you have embosser you could take the book share BRf to your empower and emboss them

Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 5, 2011, at 6:30 PM, "Marsha Drenth" <marsha.drenth at gmail.com> wrote:

> The PDF I got was very very big, so when I did try to use Adobe, it
> literally just did not nothing. When I ran it through Kurzwwil, it crashed
> my computer. Not to say that this always happens. I do also use RFBandD,
> Bookshare, and NLS. Getting the books from the publisher as a PDF, is my
> last resort too. Like this semester, one of my professors was okay with
> letting me use a later edition. My another wanted the most recent edition,
> thus why I had to get it from the publisher. The later edition is pretty
> much the same just a newer version. The version I am using is a 2010, and
> the version he originally requested was the 2011 version. I explained to the
> professor my dilemma and he was okay with using the later version. This is a
> professor I have worked with in the past, last semester, so he already knows
> what some times my difficulties are. I rather not use bookshare because of
> either one I have to read the book on the computer, which is fine especially
> if I need to know page numbers and such. But if I put the book on my stream,
> the TTS voice is so bad, with my hearing impairment I can not understand it.
> Now if I had a Braille display and could connected it up to my stream and
> read as it talks, I could handle that. I do have a Braille note mPower, but
> have never used it for bookshare. 
> 
> Marsha  
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Nicole B. Torcolini at Home
> Sent: Saturday, February 05, 2011 6:30 PM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Obtaining electronic text
> 
> Breaking up a PDF might not be a problem. However, especially if there is a 
> reasonably large number of other students with disabilities, the office 
> might not want to convert a PDF to a word document if it is readable with 
> Jaws without conversion. If you don't want to deal with the PDF and have 
> Kurzweil, you can run the document through the virtual printer. This works 
> better than saving as text because the formatting is not lost. Also, if the 
> PDF is protected, I don't think that you can save it as text.
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Bridgit Pollpeter" <bpollpeter at hotmail.com>
> To: <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, February 05, 2011 3:23 PM
> 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
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> nabs-l mailing list
>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>> nabs-l:
>> 
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/ntorcolini%40wavecab
> le.com 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nabs-l mailing list
> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> nabs-l:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/marsha.drenth%40gmai
> l.com
> 
> 
> __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature
> database 5849 (20110205) __________
> 
> The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.
> 
> http://www.eset.com
> 
> 
> 
> __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature
> database 5849 (20110205) __________
> 
> The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.
> 
> http://www.eset.com
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nabs-l mailing list
> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nabs-l:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/davidschool97%40gmail.com