[nabs-l] scanning books in Kurzweil was re: school is notaccomodating

[Mark J. Cadigan]

I have a scanner with a feeder. I cut the binding off the book and with the 
help of a reader separate it into chapters. Then, I feed each chapter threw 
the scanner. It scanned each page on both sides in a matter of seconds. 
Adobe professional was provided with the scanner, witch creates accessible 
PDF files from the scans.



I forget the name of the manufacturer that makes the scanner.



State rehab purchased it for me for around $800. I have kerswile, however, 
hardly use it because the software that was provided with the scanner does a 
much more accurate job. However, if you can get both, I would, because 
kerswile is still helpful and I do use it from time to time.



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Arielle Silverman" <arielle71 at gmail.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2012 9:46 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] scanning books in Kurzweil was re: school is 
notaccomodating


> You can scan books with it, one page at a time.
> Arielle
>
> On 1/21/12, Chris Nusbaum <dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi Bridgit and everyone,
>>
>> Is there a way to scan books with Kurzweil? I thought you have to
>> scan page-by-page with Kurzweil, but I have heard people on this
>> list saying that they can scan books with it.  How do you do
>> that?
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Chris
>>
>> "The real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight.  The
>> real problem is the misunderstanding and lack of education that
>> exists.  If a blind person has the proper training and
>> opportunity, blindness can be reduced to a mere physical
>> nuisance."
>> -- Kenneth Jernigan
>>
>>  ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Bridgit Pollpeter <bpollpeter at hotmail.com
>> To: <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> Date sent: Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:56:57 -0600
>> Subject: [nabs-l] School is not accomodating
>>
>> I have been very fortunate with my university experience because
>> I
>> didn't not have to deal with the issues I have read many others
>> have had
>> to face.  I'm no expert, but I believe universities and colleges
>> must
>> supply reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities
>> which
>> would include accessible formats for textbooks in a reasonable
>> amount of
>> time.  My campus DSO required all registered DSO students to
>> contact
>> instructors before each term with book info so the DSO staff
>> could work
>> on finding accessible formats and scanning material if necessary.
>> Along
>> with grad and honor students, students with disabilities on my
>> campus
>> qualified for early registration too which helped with the entire
>> process.  And I also have Kurzweil at home so I have the ability
>> to scan
>> things at my own leisure.  My DSO also outsourced for Braille,
>> but it was
>> an option and it was done in a timely fashion.  I agree with
>> others that
>> you, Ashley, need to speak with your local agency for the blind
>> along
>> with your DSO, and it may be helpful to request advocacy help
>> from any
>> local Federation presence available.  I'm not sure of all your
>> rights
>> involved here, but I believe your DSO may not be working with you
>> the
>> way in which it should.
>>
>> The JAWS problem is a tough one as well.  Nowadays, laptops are
>> quite
>> light so "lugging" one around isn't all that bad.  I started
>> using a
>> Netbook for my last two years of university and loved it.  It
>> weighs less
>> than two pounds and works for what I need.  I can access the
>> internet and
>> use MS Office.  And of course JAWS was installed on it.  The
>> keyboard is
>> condensed and some of the keys are placed differently than a
>> regular
>> keyboard, but any laptop is laid out like this, and you adjust
>> pretty
>> quickly to the smaller keys if you use the Netbook enough, which
>> if a
>> student, I imagine you would.  A Netbook is just one option
>> though.  I've
>> not had problems with my Netbook.  If your DSO is not able to
>> provide
>> JAWS in a way that works for you, I suggest you have your own
>> laptop.
>>
>> As for Braille signs, yes, Braille signs should be placed around
>> buildings for blind people just as ramps and accessible bathroom
>> stalls
>> are suppose to exist for those in wheelchairs.  However, as long
>> as room
>> numbers and what office a door is, such as DSO or Registrar,
>> that's all
>> that's necessary.  Including instructors name on doors isn't
>> practical
>> for rooms at large as multiple instructors will use the same
>> rooms, and
>> for instructor offices, their office number should be made
>> available to
>> students on syllabi and by asking an instructor for it, or
>> calling
>> campus for it.  So I don't find it necessary to also place a name
>> on a
>> door if you have the number, and instructors don't always end up
>> in the
>> same office areas all the time, though typically they remain in a
>> given
>> office during their term as an instructor.  At my university,
>> most
>> instructor offices were large areas containing multiple rooms
>> within one
>> are for particular instructors such as all history profs.  In the
>> same
>> area.  So say room 140  will then hold multiple rooms within it
>> so say my
>> profs.  Room is 140 E.  These areas would have a receptionist
>> working in
>> the outer area.  Anyway, as long as you know where their office
>> is
>> located, you shouldn't also require a name along with the room
>> number.
>>
>> Finally, the world is not set up for easy navigation- blind or
>> sighted.
>> Infrastructures, buildings, homes, neighborhoods, they're not
>> always
>> constructed for easy navigation.  As blind people, we need to
>> understand
>> and realize this.  We will encounter situations like this through
>> life so
>> we can't expect anyone to follow a certain way of designing space
>> just
>> for one purpose.  Fair or not, this is life.  I do not believe
>> there are
>> any ADA guidelines requiring buildings to have "easy" navigation
>> for
>> blind people, and I don't believe this is necessary.  If you are
>> uncomfortable navigating a space, request help from an O & M
>> instructor
>> or perhaps a friend who is also blind who has good travel skills
>> to
>> help.  This is a touchy subject, I know, but the interior design
>> of a
>> building is not something a DSO or anyone needs to consider in
>> terms of
>> accessibility.  Again, fair or not, this is how it is.  I do not
>> claim to
>> be the best traveler, nor did I when sighted, but I do know that
>> we
>> can't complain about how buildings are structured just because we
>> are
>> blind.  We must take the initiative to learn areas we frequent,
>> and seek
>> the best travel instruction possible.  It can be an adjustment,
>> and like
>> anything, some will take to it quicker than others, but when we
>> have no
>> true mobility issue, meaning we have full use of our legs, there
>> really
>> is no reason we can't learn to navigate space independently and
>> efficiently even in areas not designed with blind people in mind.
>> No DSO
>> is required to find a space "easy" to navigate when it comes to
>> the
>> services it offers.  This is something you and perhaps your rehab
>> agency
>> need to discuss.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>> Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
>> Read my blog at:
>> http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/
>>
>> "History is not what happened; history is what was written down."
>> The Expected One- Kathleen McGowan
>>
>>
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