[nabs-l] adobe conversion unaccommodating professors

Sun Jan 13 02:00:00 UTC 2013

Hi,
I have ReadIris Pro 12, and it also converts pdf image files to doc, docx, 
or whatever format you specify using OCR. Also, many all-in-one 
printers/scanners/copiers now come with limited OCR software. I got an 
all-in-one HP printer that came with software like this.
Misty

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Jacobson" <steve.jacobson at visi.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2013 3:48 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] adobe conversion unaccommodating professors

> Ashley,
>
> We are having more and mor of a problem claiming that scanned PDF images 
> are not accessible because there are ways to convert them.  If you have
> either K-1000 or Open book, you should be able to convert them.  There is 
> even some OCR capability in certain versions of Microsoft Office that can 
> be
> used as I understand it, but that feature is not in all versions.  Of 
> course, any time that optical character recognition has to be used, it 
> will not be as
> accurage as getting a document that can be read directly in PDF.  I 
> understand that the latest versions of JFW can do some conversion as well. 
> While all
> of this is good, it makes it more difficult for us to claim that we cannot 
> read scanned PDF files.  Regular PDF files should generally be accessible 
> with
> Adobe Acrobat, and there is the ability to save PDF files with Acrobat to 
> a text file.  There are certainly cases where formatting is messed up, 
> though, I'm
> not claiming it is perfect, but the waters are now very muddy as to what 
> is truly not accessible.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Steve Jacobson
>
> On Sat, 12 Jan 2013 14:39:49 -0500, Ashley Bramlett wrote:
>
>>Hi William!
>>Thank you! Now I understand my problem.
>>I was unable to convert the pdf file, not because I did something wrong, 
>>but
>>because I have the free adobe program rather than the professional 
>>program.
>
>>Yes, most dss offices have such a program I'm sure.
>>However, mine is either  unaware of how to  do it or just refuses to 
>>convert
>>files. I'm not sure which one; all I know is that when I requested another
>>format, I was told no; that pdf was the only thing available.
>
>>William, can you explain more? This is good to know for the future when I
>>may have adobe professional at work.
>
>>What file formats can adobe be saved as?
>>Wiill it handle scanned images? How much does it cost? What does it do and
>>what is accessible? I know adobe has a lot to do with formatting and 
>>layout
>>which would not be accessible.
>>Also, I assume adobe connect, the conferencing software, isn't accessible
>>either.
>
>>Thanks.
>
>>Ashley
>
>>-----Original Message----- 
>>From: wmodnl wmodnl
>>Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2013 9:16 AM
>>To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>Cc: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>Subject: Re: [nabs-l] unaccommodating professors
>
>>The only way to save a PDF as something else, is to use the professional 
>>or
>>full addition of Adobe.  You can not do this with the traditional Adobe
>>reader.   Make sure the computer has 9 or 10.  The link will read buy JFW
>>as:
>>Adobe complete, or Adobe professional 9.0, etc.  Most DS offices have the
>>program and can make this conversion for you.  Hope this helps.
>
>
>>Sent from my iPad
>
>>On Jan 12, 2013, at 1:21 AM, "Ashley Bramlett" <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
>>wrote:
>
>>> well, I've tried that in other classes. I'm not dumb.
>>> The computer either froze or the pdf would not allow me to save it as
>>> text. I think the publisher protected it somehow so you cannot change 
>>> it.
>>>
>>> Also, as I've said before, the disability office has not and never  will
>>> give me a doc file.
>>> Of course I asked for this. I wanted to put the doc file on a flash 
>>> drive
>>> to read on my braillenote  in class.
>>> They always tell me the publisher only can send pdfs; they have not
>>> invested the time to attempt to convert it themselves. Also, they could
>>> fight with the publisher if they wanted to for a more accessible format
>>> such as rtf or doc files.
>>> But they don't.
>>>
>>> This community college does not go out of its way to help and 
>>> accommodate
>>> students.
>>> I often work out issues myself with professors and order my own books. I
>>> try and leave dss out of it. but when the professor wants you to take
>>> another class and goes to your dss counselor without your  knowledge,
>>> there is nothing you can do.
>>> If he were going to work with me he would not have stepped behind me. 
>>> The
>>> only reason
>>> I know he went to dss was since the dss counselor called me and stated 
>>> she
>>> spoke to him and wanted to discuss with me.
>>>
>>> I don't know what so called accomodations she was going to discuss and I
>>> never will know. We are not! discussing this bad situation. I should 
>>> find
>>> an instructor willing to work with me. I
>>> have never found this counselor helpful and I'm not talking to her. I
>>> think all she'll say is the challenges involved and when I ask for 
>>> videos
>>> to be described by the professor or someone, she'll say the college 
>>> isn't
>>> required to do it. I've asked for a braille test before, and she told me
>>> they don't have to provide my prefered format; I had to take i t
>>> auditorily.
>>>
>>> Given her relunctance to do much but the bare minimum of things, I think
>>> discussing it is fruitless and I'll simply look for other options and
>>> email her that.
>>>
>>> ItG?Ts a bad situation. Its shaken my trust somewhat. When you email
>>> professors it should remain between you and them period.
>>> I expect to keep conversations between us since  all other students have
>>> this right.
>>> No third party should be involved without your consent or knowledge. I 
>>> am
>>> tempted to place in subsequent corespondence when I inquire about 
>>> classes,
>>> that this communication is confidential. Heck, if anyone does this 
>>> again,
>>> I will do that.
>>>
>>> Then, if they violate my right to privacy and confidentiality, I have
>>> written proof of it.
>>>
>>> Anyway, I'll see what happens next week when I go to class.
>>>
>>> Ashley
>>> -----Original Message----- From: Brandon Keith Biggs
>>> Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2013 1:01 AM
>>> To: Misty Dawn Bradley ; National Association of Blind Students mailing
>>> list
>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] unaccommodating professors
>>>
>>> Hello,
>>> There is a pretty simple way of converting PDF to TXT:
>>> when you open the PDF go to
>>> "save as other"
>>> hit text
>>> Enter the name and location and there you go.
>>> Also, ask the disability center for a .doc and they should be
>>> accommodating,
>>> I've never heard of one that wasn't for that.
>>> There are a million other ways to get a PDF to TXT, but that is first.
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> Brandon Keith Biggs
>>> -----Original Message----- From: Misty Dawn Bradley
>>> Sent: Friday, January 11, 2013 9:45 PM
>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] unaccommodating professors
>>>
>>> Hi,
>>> If you are able to get the book from Learning Ally, the books are set up
>>> to
>>> where you can set them to go page by page, by chapter, by heading, or by
>>> sentence, so this may help with at least finding the page number, and 
>>> then
>>> if you go by sentence or if there is a paragraph setting then you may be
>>> able to find the paragraph easier.
>>> Hth,
>>> Misty
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ashley Bramlett"
>>> <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
>>> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
>>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2013 12:34 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] unaccommodating professors
>>>
>>>
>>>> Brandon,
>>>> Yes professors are set inttheir ways. This is one of them. Students in
>>>> that class have to for instance, see paragraph 2 on page 14.
>>>> I usually use audio formats so cannot use text to search.
>>>> I have tried to get the electronic copy, but as I said before, they 
>>>> give
>>>> me pdfs which jaws has trouble reading.
>>>> Even if jaws reads it, I don't have page numbers since the book is 
>>>> broken
>>>> down by chapters or parts.
>>>> Each part or chapter is a large file.
>>>> So its impossible to look at a book as others do.
>>>>
>>>> I'm glad it worked for you, but I know with videos coupled with the
>>>> reliance of books, it is a tough teaching style to follow.
>>>>
>>>> I just hate when professors are not willing to talk to you and go to 
>>>> the
>>>> dss office.
>>>>
>>>> Ashley
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message----- From: Brandon Keith Biggs
>>>> Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2013 12:17 AM
>>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] unaccommodating professors
>>>>
>>>> Hello,
>>>> I had a superstar professor who did this. He was an older guy and he 
>>>> was
>>>> very set in his ways. He had about 2000 students on his Corse load and 
>>>> he
>>>> was also an international star. He said I would probably fail his class
>>>> because he used lots of pictures and he wrote lots on the board. He 
>>>> also
>>>> said that I would not benefit from the top notch pictures he both
>>>> presented
>>>> in front of the class and had in the textbook he wrote. He told my
>>>> Disability counselor he was not sure how I would deal with the pop
>>>> quizzes.
>>>> On top of that, I was an honors student who had a steeper grading scale
>>>> than
>>>> the normal students.
>>>> I told him not to worry, if he was willing to listen to me, we could 
>>>> work
>>>> something out. I took the head of the Accessibility department to one 
>>>> of
>>>> his
>>>> office hours and we hammered him with every problem a week after class
>>>> started and we gave solutions. We also presented alternatives for him 
>>>> to
>>>> choose from. He then gave us his opinions and what he was willing to 
>>>> do.
>>>> I talked to the professor every week and just made sure things were 
>>>> going
>>>> well on his part. I ended up getting an easy A in that class and that 
>>>> was
>>>> one of my favorite classes I have ever taken.
>>>> May I ask why you can't read paragraphs other students are reading? I
>>>> just
>>>> do a search for words in my word document.
>>>> Teacher tells us to look at page 45, paragraph 7 that starts "He looked
>>>> to
>>>> where her boots lay in the mud..."
>>>> I search for that and it only takes a second to search through the 
>>>> whole
>>>> book.
>>>> Thanks,
>>>> Brandon Keith Biggs
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
>>>
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>

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