[nobe-l] obtaining accessible textbooks as ebook or online book format

[Sally Friedman]

Hi Anita and all,
I don't know much from the technical side but I have successfully downloaded
some short non text book e-books (some free and some I have paid for) from
assorted websites of people offering them.  Sometimes they have been pdf,
sometimes html formats but they have been workable.

I don't know  if the same is true for larger textbooks but I guess I was
surprised that downloading these was relatively easy.  So maybe the textbook
piece is easier than we think.  
Sally Friedman
-----Original Message-----
From: nobe-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nobe-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Mark Stimson
Sent: Tuesday, August 03, 2010 12:30 AM
To: 'National Organization of Blind Educators Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [nobe-l] obtaining accessible textbooks as ebook or online book
format

Hi Anita,

Accessible electronic textbooks can be a rather complicated matter.  I would
recommend several things.  First, if you have not done so yet, get a
membership to RFB&D.  It is currently free to become a member, if you are
eligible.  I find that a lot of required textbooks are available from RFB&D.
Another good thing about RFB&D is that the books themselves are free.  Next,
you should also look into getting a membership in NLS (aka, BARD) and
Bookshare.com.  Finally, many states in the U.S. have their own repository
of textbooks, however to get access to these books you do need to pay list
price.  If you live in California, send me an email directly and I can give
you more info.  There are a few other less known resources too, and I'll
list them if anyone is interested.

Best regards, Mark

Mark Stimson, Ph.D.
Document Accessibility Specialist
www.DocumentAccessibility.com
www.AccessIngenuity.com
marks @ accessingenuity.com 

-----Original Message-----
From: nobe-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nobe-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Anita Adkins
Sent: Sunday, August 01, 2010 4:38 PM
To: National Organization of Blind Educators Mailing List
Subject: [nobe-l] obtaining accessible textbooks as ebook or online book
format
Importance: High

Hello everyone,

I received a message on another list about how it is now required for one to
have a list of textbooks way before the start of a semester.  My question is
if ebooks or online versions of textbooks are accessible to the blind.  I
was researching this online and found a place that sells such books,
including at least  one book I will need this coming semester.  The cite
told me that it could not guarantee that the software for accessing the book
was accessible, but that it was working to make this program accessible.
However, this was a general statement and did not apply specificly to
blindness.  Does anyone have experience with ebooks or their online
counterparts?  Is there an available JAWS script to make it possible for me
to access these books?  Thanks in advance for any info.  I will paste the
link where I found my book below so that you will know more of what I am
talking about.
"Find your college textbook at low prices | CourseSmart"
http://www.coursesmart.com/search
Anita Adkins

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