[nabs-l] Obtaining electronic text

[Bridgit Pollpeter]

Ashley,

Since I am a creative writing major, many of my textbooks are literature
books so I like to use BARD, NLS or RFBD so I can enjoy the reading.  I
mark any places so I can refer to the electronic copy which has page
numbers.  RFBD is not my favorite, though, because the narrators do not
always do a great job.  I am reading an ancient Irish text this semester
that has been translated into English and the RFBD narrator keeps
tripping up on the Gaelic names.  *smile*

I have gotten use to reading with JAWS however.  My emphasis is in
creative nonfiction and many of these books are not currently available
in accessible audio formats.

I am not sure of the legality, but aren't schools now required to find
material in proper formats as well as giving them to students in proper
amounts of time?  It seems like a school should have to have some form
of scanning for students who require electronic copies.  What do they do
when books are not currently in an accessible format?  So you can't buy
the book and have the DSO scan it?  I would look into that.

Does your area have a good agency for the blind?  Perhaps they can look
into this.

Bridgit

Message: 5
Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2011 21:45:11 -0500
From: <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
	<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Obtaining electronic text
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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