[Ohio-talk] Fw: College Textbook Affordability Acts

Diane Johnson djohnson at woosterumc.org
Thu Feb 19 21:39:07 UTC 2009 

My guess is that they will get a better scan with a debound book. Depending
on the binding, the inner characters may get corrupted in the binding of the
text. I would trust them and let them go with their original plan to debound
the book.

-----Original Message-----
From: ohio-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:ohio-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Robert Spangler
Sent: Thursday, February 19, 2009 3:38 PM
To: NFB of Ohio Announcement and Discussion List
Subject: Re: [Ohio-talk] Fw: College Textbook Affordability Acts

They wanted to debound the book to make it easier to scan.  I asked them 
not to do that until we are sure the publisher won't provide the book. 
Does it make a difference in quality whether it is debound or not? 
Debound they can just slide the pages in; otherwise, they have to hold 
it to the scanner I'm assuming.



Diane Johnson wrote:
> Hi Robby, I am using a scanned book right now. For this to work well
> requires two things. 
> 
> 1. The person doing the scanning really needs to have enough vision to
proof
> the pages as they are scanned to correct the scan errors as they are
saved.
> Save them as word documents. (.doc) If they do this, they can then
> transcribe them easily through Duxbury into Braille and emboss them if
they
> possess the equipment. If they do not have such equipment, Then the word
> document can be accessed and read with your screen reader and you can be
> assured a correct copy. It is a tedious process.
> 
> 2. When scanning a foreign language it is important to have a person who
> actually reads that language do the scanning, not some other volunteer. I
> realize this may seem a hardship to the university, however, there may be
a
> student intern in the department who could do some hours on this project.
> The school I am attending has been more than willing to do my scanning
> project for me. 
> 
> 3. You do not need to scan the entire book at once. I receive my scans two
> weeks out to keep up with class readings. They keep up with my schedule
> quite well. It allows them a sane schedule for all.
> 
> Good luck to you.
> Diane
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ohio-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:ohio-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On
> Behalf Of Robert Spangler
> Sent: Thursday, February 19, 2009 10:02 AM
> To: NFB of Ohio Announcement and Discussion List
> Subject: Re: [Ohio-talk] Fw: College Textbook Affordability Acts
> 
> They tried to scan it but the quality is absolutely terrible.  If you 
> have suggestions for them, please let me know.  I can show you a sample 
> of the terrible scan if you would like.
> 
> Deborah and Colleen, I understand what you are saying.  I have told you 
> before that, the last time I posted to the NABS list about this matter, 
> I got the same responses as you gave me.  Yes, I understand you all got 
> through college with readers.  I understand you had to depend on sighted 
> people to read you stuff.  However, the longer we hold onto this and 
> keep using it as an excuse the longer it is going to take us to get the 
> equal opportunity to which we have a right.  I'm glad you got through 
> school this way but now it's 2009 and we have the technology to get what 
> we need, it just isn't being done due to laziness and people who don't 
> care.  So let's forget about the past and demand equality!
> 
> Robby
> 
> Diane Johnson wrote:
>> I wonder if I could jump in on this discussion a bit. I have two degrees
> and
>> am working on a third. I, too, get frustrated when materials I depend on
> are
>> not available in formats I prefer to work with. I continue to hope and
> pray
>> for the day when publishers will recognize the benefit to making
materials
>> available in accessible formats for the entire population rather than the
>> majority.
>>
>> However, for all people frustrations exist at times when materials do not
>> arrive on time, when wrong materials are substituted, etc. This is where
>> common ground exists with instructors. 
>>
>> Robby, may I suggest you engage conversation with your instructor about
> you
>> situation. Can the materials be scanned and transcribed into Braille
using
>> Open Book by the University Disability Services Office? I agree with you
>> that use of a reader is less than ideal for learning a foreign language,
> but
>> I did have to go that route in my undergraduate program. I passed.  
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: ohio-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:ohio-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
> On
>> Behalf Of Deborah Kendrick
>> Sent: Thursday, February 19, 2009 8:57 AM
>> To: NFB of Ohio Announcement and Discussion List
>> Subject: Re: [Ohio-talk] Fw: College Textbook Affordability Acts
>>
>> Robby,
>> While it is refreshing to see your spirit of independence and claim on 
>> equality in this matter, I feel the need to bring another, more immediate

>> perspective to your problem.
>> At the risk of sounding like the cliched oldster who "walked ten miles in

>> two feet of snow" to get to school, in contrast with today's bundled kids

>> getting door to door bus service, I want to tell you something of my own 
>> college education.
>> I had ONE (yes, that is the number 1) textbook ever in high school annd, 
>> ironically, exactly ONE braille textbook ever in college as well.  In
high
> 
>> school, it was my junior year American literature book (i still remember
> the
>> thrill of reading the part of Emily in Our Town when we studied the
play),
> 
>> and in college it was a collection of French short stories.  Now, other 
>> books certainly existed in braille in those days, but I did not have the 
>> benefit of an ODS office or, more importantly, of the NFB to teach me
> about 
>> resources and/or even rights.
>> My point is this:  Despite having no books in braille, I -- and countless

>> other blind people -- did get my education, and have enjoyed a
> subsequently 
>> successful professional life.
>> In other words, keep fighting the good fight, but don't lose sight of the

>> fact that you can indeed learn spanish or any other subject without
> getting 
>> that accessible textbook.  You can use readers.  You can use scanners and

>> OCR software.  You can use Spanish texts from Web Braille or Bookshare in

>> order to see the words in Braille.  If you fail the course or get a low 
>> grade, it won't make your case any stronger and the publishers of the
text
> 
>> won't care.  Again, I admire your spirit and am completely behind you in 
>> fighting this to make the publisher do the right thing.  But I am also 
>> encouraging you to remember meanwhile that your success does not depend
on
> 
>> an electronic version of the book.  We, as blind people, are among the
> most 
>> resourceful people in the world.  Use us and your own innovative
> creativity 
>> to solve the problem while still pushing and waiting for the less
creative
> 
>> publishers to get on the same page with us.
>>
>> Deborah
>> , -- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Robert Spangler" <spangler.robert at gmail.com>
>> To: "NFB of Ohio Announcement and Discussion List" <ohio-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Thursday, February 19, 2009 12:01 AM
>> Subject: Re: [Ohio-talk] Fw: College Textbook Affordability Acts
>>
>>
>>> Or, how about doing what needs to be done and pushing for fair, equal 
>>> accessibility for textbooks?  Perhaps I will have to use a reader as a 
>>> last resort but we shouldn't have to do that.  I'm sorry that there are 
>>> those of you who want to stop at that choice but I'm not.  I will fight 
>>> for this till the end.
>>>
>>>
>>> Mike Freeman wrote:
>>>> How about using a -- gasp -- reader?
>>>>
>>>> Mike
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>> From: "Robert Spangler" <spangler.robert at gmail.com>
>>>> To: "NFB of Ohio Announcement and Discussion List"
> <ohio-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 9:05 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: [Ohio-talk] Fw: College Textbook Affordability Acts
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Thanks.  Just thought I would let you know that I am struggling with
>>>> something very peculiar and I really want something done about this
>>>> either now or at least when I graduate to benefit those who take my
>>>> place.  I am currently in a Spanish class where I do not have the
>>>> textbook.  The publisher claims that they can only send it in Course
>>>> Smart format and we all know the problem with that!  They were able to
>>>> send the Spanish workbook to me in PDF format but not the textbook.  I
>>>> am hearing that they may be able to have it to me in two weeks?  I'm
>>>> hearing two things, my office of accessibility and I have been calling
>>>> these people over and over, I don't know who is wrong, who is and isn't
>>>> doing their work on the issue, etc.  All I know is I'm getting very
>>>> PO'ed because I could potentially score low in the class due to the
lack
>>>> of a textbook.  This cannot be legal.  I have found no one to give me
>>>> helpful advice.  All that everyone has told me thus far is that any
>>>> legal action I take would be too steep of a clime and pretty much I get
>>>> the "just deal with it" tone.  OK, so should I just sit back, guess all
>>>> the answers on the test and fail?  I don't think so.  I'm thinking more
>>>> on the lines of just sueing them.  This may be hard and costly but what
>>>> is my life without an education?  It's nothing.  I can get nowhere
>>>> without an education.  So if I have to fight for that right I don't
feel
>>>> that I stand to lose anything.  Sorry if I'm ranting but this is just
>>>> getting ridiculous.
>>>>
>>>> Robby
>>>>
>>>> Dr. Smith wrote:
>>>>> Check it out.
>>>>>
>>>>> JW
>>>>>
>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>>> From: Wilson, Joanne
>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 8:19 AM
>>>>> Subject: FW: College Textbook Affordability Acts
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> ----
>>>>> Dear State Presidents:
>>>>>
>>>>> Currently, there is a push within the higher education community to 
>>>>> lessen the cost of textbooks by making these publications available to

>>>>> students electronically. Affordable textbooks would be great for 
>>>>> everyone, but we want to make sure that the blind are not forgotten in

>>>>> this endeavor, and that the electronic versions of these texts are 
>>>>> accessible. We are working on gathering information about this 
>>>>> initiative, and we need your help with the following:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> 1. Please find out if any affordable textbook legislation is pending
in
> 
>>>>> your state. The name of the bills will vary-Maryland's is called the 
>>>>> College Textbook Competition and Affordability Act of 2009.
Minnesota's
> 
>>>>> bill is named the College Textbook Affordability Act.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> 2. Email Mehgan Sidhu from Brown, Goldstein & Levy at ms at browngold.com

>>>>> to let her know what you find out. Please also copy me on the message.

>>>>> My email is jwilson at nfb.org.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks for your help with this very important project!
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Joanne
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> ----
>>>>> From: Wilson, Joanne
>>>>> Sent: Monday, February 16, 2009 1:12 PM
>>>>> To: Carranza, Rosy
>>>>> Subject: FW: College Textbook Affordability Acts
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> ----
>>>>> From: Mehgan Sidhu [mailto:ms at browngold.com]
>>>>> Sent: Monday, February 16, 2009 12:18 PM
>>>>> To: Wilson, Joanne
>>>>> Subject: College Textbook Affordability Acts
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Joanne,
>>>>>
>>>>> Below are the titles of the Maryland and Minnesota Acts, and link to
> the
>>>>> Maryland bill. Please let me know if you need more information.
Thanks!
> 
>>>>> Mehgan
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Maryland: College Textbook Competition and Affordability Act of 2009
>>>>>
>>>>> Minnesota: College Textbook Affordability Act
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Link to Maryland Bill:
>>>>>
>>>>> http://mlis.state.md.us/2009rs/bills/hb/hb0085f.pdf
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Mehgan Sidhu
>>>>>
>>>>> Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP
>>>>>
>>>>> 120 East Baltimore Street, Suite 1700
>>>>>
>>>>> Baltimore, Maryland 21202
>>>>>
>>>>> 410-962-1030 x1324
>>>>>
>>>>> 410-385-0869 (fax)
>>>>>
>>>>> ms at browngold.com
>>>>>
>>>>> www.browngold.com
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Confidentiality Notice
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> This e-mail may contain confidential information that may also be 
>>>>> legally privileged and that is intended only for the use of the 
>>>>> addressee(s) named above.  If you are not the intended recipient or an

>>>>> authorized agent of the recipient, please be advised that any 
>>>>> dissemination or copying of this e-mail, or taking of any action in 
>>>>> reliance on the information contained herein, is strictly prohibited.
> If
>>>>> you have received this e-mail in error, please notify me immediately
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> 
>>>>> use of the reply button, and then delete the e-mail from your system. 
>>>>> Thank you!
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>> -- 
>>> Robert Spangler
>>> The University of Toledo
>>> Student Senate - Recording Secretary
>>>
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-- 
Robert Spangler
The University of Toledo
Student Senate - Recording Secretary

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