[nabs-l] Etextbooks

[Dan Burke]

Yes, this is not a process intended to benefit students with print disabilities, it is rather to protect the publishers' market as individuals and DS offices made increasing requests for electronic files.  Some schools don't belong, but continue to make requests directly to the publishers.

The entity making the request must affirm the student has bought the book, but also that they have a disability that requires the school to provide an laternative forrmat.  

The other issue is that most of the time the books come in PDF.  Students should be aware that they can ask the DS office to request other formats, such as MS Word and, if the book can't be obtained in Word, the DS office should convert it to that or a better format, such as Daisy.

In other words, push your DS office.

Best,
Dan


Dan Burke
Academic and Youth Services
Colorado Center for the Blind
Take charge with confidence and self-reliance

www.cocenter.org
facebook.com/coloradocenterfortheblind
@CoCenter4Blind
www.youtube.com/user/cocenterorg

2233 W. Shepperd Ave.
Littleton, CO  80120
303-778-1130 ext. 210
Fax:  303-778-1598


-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of minh ha
Sent: Tuesday, September 10, 2013 7:02 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Etextbooks

Yes, unfortunately ATN only take requests from universities, not the
individual students. My understanding is that it doesn't even have to
be a DSO that can request it, but any office from the university that
can verify that the student has purchased the books. I don't really
like this process either, but I can understand that it's a buffer for
the publishers. After all, they're trying to make money. I've heard of
students that went straight to the publishers themselves and request
the pdf, but it just ended up being a mess of showing receipts and
miscommunication, etc etc etc. Even though it's not perfect, I'm glad
we have this resource and as long as students ask their DSO to request
the books a month or so in advance, they should have their books in
time for classes to start.

Minh

On 9/10/13, Ashley Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
> Arielle,
> its my understanding they deal with the DSO only, not individual students.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Arielle Silverman
> Sent: Tuesday, September 10, 2013 7:33 PM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Etextbooks
>
> So then can individual students request books from Access Text Network
> or does the school's DSO have to be the one to make the request? What
> if a student doesn't have a DSO at their school or doesn't want to
> rely on somebody else to make the request for them? (especially if
> it's a last-minute request and the DSO staff are swamped with other
> stuff)
>
> Arielle
>
> On 9/10/13, Dan Burke <dburke at cocenter.org> wrote:
>> The Access Text Network is free to colleges, but they have to sign up.
>>
>> When they sign up and request a book for a student, they are required to
>> affirm that the student has shown proof of purchase.  Even so, a school
>> won't always make you show that proof.
>>
>> As to the cost of the book and lack of resale value, VR can and should
>> pay
>> for textbooks as part of an IPE.
>>
>> BTW, resale to the college bookstore is not often very rewarding.
>>
>> Best,
>> Dan
>>
>>
>> Dan Burke
>> Academic and Youth Services
>> Colorado Center for the Blind
>> Take charge with confidence and self-reliance
>>
>> www.cocenter.org
>> facebook.com/coloradocenterfortheblind
>> @CoCenter4Blind
>> www.youtube.com/user/cocenterorg
>>
>> 2233 W. Shepperd Ave.
>> Littleton, CO  80120
>> 303-778-1130 ext. 210
>> 2303-778-1130 fax
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Miso Kwak
>> Sent: Monday, September 09, 2013 11:11 PM
>> To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Etextbooks
>>
>> My school's osd (office for students with disabilities) will scan any
>> book too as long as I make the purcahse for the textbook which I can't
>> resell in the end because they take the spine off of the book to scan.
>> I am trying to be economically efficient here... as well as efficient
>> in general, meaning I want to get the material in the quickest way
>> possible.
>> P.S: I haven't started my classes yet because my school is on the
>> quarter system. I have about 2 weeks until the first day of school.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Suzanne Germano <sgermano at asu.edu>
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Mon, Sep 9, 2013 9:16 pm
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Etextbooks
>>
>> My university will scan any textbook. Have you checked if disabled
>> students
>> services will do that?
>>
>> Suzanne
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Sep 9, 2013 at 7:54 PM, Miso Kwak <kwakmiso at aol.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Minh,
>>> Thank you for the response.
>>> I am aware of the Access Text website, but not the university access
>> with
>>> the publishers.
>>> Do you know if it's necessary for students to purchase the hard copy
>>> before requesting the pdf file?
>>> Miso Kwak
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: minh ha <minh.ha927 at gmail.com>
>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>> >
>>> Sent: Mon, Sep 9, 2013 7:40 pm
>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Etextbooks
>>>
>>> Hey Miso,
>>>
>>> Have you heard of the access text network? It's a program where
>>> universities can sign up and request pdf's of textbooks from
>>> publishers. You can find out more information at accesstexts.org. I've
>>> been able to find all of my textbooks through ATN and the files are
>>> always readable. The only online textbook provider that I had personal
>>> experience with is CourseSmart. It's a website where you rent your
>>> books and then access them online. Apparently, there is an accessible
>>> feature that the provider can turn on for students that use screen
>>> readers, but I was never able to make it work for me. Honestly it was
>>> a waste of my time trying to figure it out; I used both internet
>>> explorer and firefox to trouble shoot it with no success.
>>>
>>> HTH,
>>> Minh
>>>
>>> On 9/9/13, Miso Kwak <kwakmiso at aol.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> College students,
>>>> Could you provide me some feedback on your experience of using
>>>> etextbooks?
>>>> Which websites or programs are most accessible?
>>>> I would like to hear feedback on websites that are available to both
>>>> sighted and visually impaired students. I am asking because one of
>>>> textbooks is not available on Bookshare, NLS and Learning Ally but
>>>> available on websites like Chegg.
>>>> Thank you in advance.
>>>> Miso Kwak
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>
>>> --
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-- 
"All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty
recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity:
but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on
their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible." T. E. Lawrence

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