[NABS-L] Trouble obtaining accessible textbooks.

Thu Jul 23 15:22:18 UTC 2020

Hi Justin, 
I'm sorry to hear about the trouble you're going through to get your books. 
I just wanted to comment on diagrams and images not always being accessible in electronic format. I had two classes, math and abnormal psychology, where the books had lots of images, and had a reader provided to me by Disability Services with whom I would meet once a week. The use of the reader was an accommodation, and since my Disability Services provided them they were at no cost to me. In both cases, the professors were happy to supply me with a print version of the textbook for the reader to use, as long as I returned it after the end of the semester. 
If you decide to go this route, just make sure to let your disability services know that you want someone familiar with computer science and coding. For my math class, my reader had taken the same course with the professor the semester before, and my psychology reader had a major somewhere in the sciences. This would maximize the benefit you would have from a reader who is more likely to be more familiar with the images. 
If I'm honest, the image descriptions helped a bit, but most of my success in the classes came from me studying the materials. Sometimes Bookshare (if the books you requested end up on there) will have useful figure descriptions. I still recommend a reader if you can, though. 
Vejas   

> On Jul 22, 2020, at 18:19, Justin Ekis via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi Mariya, 
> 
> Thank you for the excellent suggestion. I have considered vitalsource. I would much rather go this route and not even mess with the publishers and the center for access at all. I wonder though, is it guarantied that every title on vitalsource will be fully accessible? One of my courses is on HTML and CSS, and another is on programming logic and design. I can just imagine code examples in these books being presented in figures, graphics that screenreaders will not read. If I get an accessible file from the publisher, I would be confident that such content would be presented in a usable way. For a commercial ebook, I’m quite dubious indeed. 
> 
> The other problem is paying for them. Two weeks before class, I will receive a $500 voucher for the college bookstore. It cannot be redeemed at vitalsource. I will receive the rest of the pell grant funds via direct deposit 2 weeks into the semester. So even if Vitalsource content is fully accessible, I cannot purchase it until well into the courses. 
> 
> Thanks so much for trying to help though, your idea is the one I most want to use. 
> 
> Best, 
> 
> Justin 
> 
> 
> 
>> On Jul 22, 2020, at 7:53 PM, Mariya Vasileva via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi Justin, you can also try Vital Source. The account is free, and their EPub books are around 80% off traditional bookstore books. Their bookshelf app is free and easy to use, and you can import the books directly from the website into the app.
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>>>> On Jul 22, 2020, at 8:16 PM, Keri Svendsen via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> 
>>> hey,
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Some publishers do require proof of purchase, while others don't. Ask your center to check access text. I have had great success in the past with access text.
>>> 
>>>>> On 7/22/2020 6:31 PM, Justin Ekis via NABS-L wrote:
>>>> Hey there Nabsters,
>>>> 
>>>> This fall, I will be heading back to community college for my second attempt at an associate’s degree in Computer Information Technology. My duel majors are concentrations in Cyber defence and networking.
>>>> 
>>>> I am having a great deal of trouble obtaining accessible textbooks. Neither Bookshare or learning ally have the correct editions of the required material. For one title, no edition is available from these services. I requested them to be added in may, but they have not yet come through.
>>>> 
>>>> When I contacted the Center for access at my college, the coordinator for disability services informed me that they could request accessible versions directly from the publishers. However, I would have to provide receipts showing that I had purchased the books first. On my SSDI, there’s no way I can afford those books until I get my Financial aid funds. According to the financial aid office, they won’t distribute the bookstore voucher until 2 weeks before classes start, and the rest of the money after the  first 2 weeks of class.
>>>> 
>>>> If I can’t request the books until 2 weeks before class, what are the odds that I will receive all 4 of them before the first day? two of my books are published by Pearson Education, i can’t tell whether another one  is from  Pearson IT Certification or Cisco press, and the last one is from cengage learning. Does anyone know whether this rule comes from the publishers, or might it be simply the policy of our center for access?
>>>> 
>>>> Is there anything I can do to get my materials more quickly? This policy seems to discriminate against low income disabled students. Now that NFB is working more closely with Pearson, might they be able to get involved somehow?
>>>> 
>>>> Thanks in advance for any help.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
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>>> 
>>> -- 
>>> Keri Svendsen
>>> 
>>> 
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