[Nfbc-info] pilot project for accessible textbook rentals

[ckrugman at sbcglobal.net]

Thought the following might be of interest.
Chuck





P116T100032 - Georgia Institute of Technology

Student E-rent Pilot Project

Project Period: 10/01/2010 - 09/30/2012 Total Funding: $1,055,228



Project Director: Christopher Lee, Enterprise Innovation Institute - Provost Office 75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314 Atlanta, Georgia 30308 E-mail: christopher.lee at amac.gatech.edu Telephone: 404-894-7655



Summary: The Alternative Media Access Center (AMAC) in partnership with CourseSmart and the AccessText Network (ATN) have come together to request funding in support of an innovative, e-textbook rental program entitled the STudent E-rent Pilot Project (STEPP). While STEPP is designed to meet the textbook rental needs of any postsecondary student, the program is unique in that its textbook offerings are specially modified for accessibility, and comply with Section 504 requirements under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.



In brief, STEPP leverages the expertise of AMAC, one of the nation's leaders in producing accessible educational text, with the established distribution network of CourseSmart, the nation's number one electronic textbook rental service, and the reach of ATN, the nation's only ?one-stop shop? for disability service providers with a need for alternative format text files. For the first time, students with disabilities will enjoy the benefits of significant cost savings inherent in a textbook rental program, as STEPP provides universally accessible e-textbook files for top titles.



Goals:
The goals of the STEPP initiative are as follows: (1) To save students an average of 50 percent off the retail cost for purchasing textbooks; (2) To provide students with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in textbook rental programs and experience cost savings; (3) To develop and demonstrate a viable business model for rendering e-textbooks for rent, which are universally accessible to all; (4) To create awareness of the availability of universally accessible e-textbooks for rent; and (5) To increase knowledge and awareness amongst all players in the marketplace of the need for and the profitability of providing universally accessible e-textbooks.


Higher Education
Department of Education Awards Grant to CourseSmart, Alternative Media Access Center and AccessText Network
The U.S. Department of Education has awarded CourseSmart, Alternative Media Access Center and AccessText Network a grant of $1.1 million. Over the next two years, the funding will be used to support STudent E-rent Pilot Project (STEPP), an innovative, eTextbook rental program aimed at improving low-cost access to higher education eTextbooks for all students, including those with print-related disabilities such as blindness or dyslexia. (AccessText Network is a comprehensive national online database that makes it easer and faster  for students with print-related disabilities to obtain the alternative textbooks needed for their college courses. Funding to create  AccessText Network was donated by publisher members of AAP's Higher Education group).

"The Department of Education grant is vital in the launch and implementation of the STEPP program and in CourseSmart's commitment to providing equal access to our growing catalogue of eTextbooks," said Sean Devine, CEO of CourseSmart. "The STEPP program is an important stride in providing accessible learning materials to all post-secondary students." Read more<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=elmrj9dab&et=1103905438199&s=12&e=001I5AzpYAeKFY3GCmy425NUVQUPaUgfXmNf2f99RW7tjHCoqxCILcBYBdj5Z_m65BLHx2xBpKSo0CU4RaR7O-vSlVUNyf7R67WBqLsDrXQ6btWotqzYW4GAfxaRD-MxxlWThrZvA1qddBtRn-B_hOWYXP1CBjJRYVwaBuALitxUO0pEjwAe6yZ_dfEtL24g33KjrCjPQxYFHo=>


==============