Meeting E-text Demands in Higher Education

Gaeir Dietrich

Alternate Media Specialist

High Tech Center Training Unit

De Anza College, Cupertino, CA

E-text

n Electronic text

n Any text that a computer can read

– E-mail, MS Word

– Quark, PageMaker, InDesign

n Sometimes PDF…

– PDFs may be text OR graphics

– Graphical PDFs are NOT e-text; they are pictures of text

Benefits of E-text

n Usable with screen readers

– JAWS, WindowEyes

n Usable with text readers

– Kurzweil, WYNN, text-to-speech (TTS) software (e.g., Read Please)

n Create MP3

– Text Aloud, Text to Audio

n Allows independence!

Acquiring E-text

n Request publisher files

– Turnaround time varies

– Quality varies

– Page numbers usually absent

– Files sometimes incomplete

n If you choose to contact publishers

– Laura Ingram of Merced College Web site

Contacting Publishers

n www.merced.cc.ca.us/dss/publishers.htm

Creating E-text

n Basic steps

– Acquire book

– Remove spine from book

– Scan book

– Run OCR

– Save as electronic text (e-text)

– Proofread/quality check

– Burn a CD for student

– Archive text

– Rebind and return book

Acquiring the Book

n Student’s book

– Book purchased by/for student

– One book/copy of e-text

n Book quality issues

– Used books may not scan well

– Require new books or do not proof for errors

Removing the Spine

n “Chop” the book

– Guillotine

n Check with your print shop or local Kinko’s

– Exacto knife to remove spine and paper cutter to detach pages

n Hand separate pages

– Make sure no glue remains

“Destroying” Books

n Students want to resell books

– Rebind with flat binding

– Work with bookstore

– Entrepreneurs can resell books that lie flat for more than bookstore buy-back price

n Depending on policy

– Purchase book

– Provide equipment for students to scan the book themselves (page by page)

n Flat binding may be an accommodation

Scan the Book

n Canon 9080C high-speed scanner

What is scanning?

n Take a picture of the text

n Usually black and white (B&W) picture at 300 dots/inch (300 DPI)

n Picture transferred to a digital file

n Multipage TIFF format

– TIFF is a graphic

n Each chapter in a single file

Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

n Run TIFF file through OCR program

– Abbyy FineReader

– ScanSoft OmniPage

– Save as MS Word

n Open TIFF in Kurzweil Professional (Scan and Read)

– K3000 automater

– Set options to FineEngine

– Save as KESI

Save to Folders

Quality Issues

n The more complex the material, the more manual work required

– Complex page design

– Extremely graphical layout

– Technical language

– Math

n Determine as a policy how much editing you can do

Rebinding Book

n Comb binding machine

– Available at office supply stores

– Around $300

– Also for binding Braille

n Print shop

n Local Kinko’s

Files

n Create file for student

– CD

n Make sure to create a data file

n Label as per Chafee

n In Word can password protect file

– Tools > Options > Security

n Archive file

Legal Issues

n Develop standard policies and procedures

n Verify student’s print disability

n Student signs an agreement not to copy/share e-text (as well as signed policies)

n Be clear on sanctions

Chafee

n Chafee Amendment (Public Law 104-197)

– “[I]t is not an infringement of copyright for an authorized entity to reproduce or to distribute copies or phonorecords of a previously published, nondramatic literary work if such copies or phonorecords are reproduced or distributed in specialized formats exclusively for use by blind or other persons with disabilities.”

Guidance

n Not authorized entities under Chafee

– Bookshare (www.bookshare.org) and RFB&D (www.rfbdnj.org) are

n Use some of Chafee provisions for guidance

n Use NLS definitions for print disability

– Blind/visually impaired, organic learning disability, physical impairment

Labeling under Chafee

n (A) not be reproduced or distributed in a format other than a specialized format exclusively for use by blind or other persons with disabilities;

n (B) bear a notice that any further reproduction or distribution in a format other than a specialized format is an infringement; and

n (C) include a copyright notice identifying the copyright owner and the date of the original publication.

Possible Wording

n Specialized format for use by student with print disability. Any further reproduction or distribution of this material is an infringement of copyright law.

n Copyright 0000, Publisher name

n Include on CD label and as txt file on CD

Fair Use

n Student owning the book allows us to create alternate formats as part of fair use

– At least in theory…

Legal Issues

n Fair Use is not a law but an argument under the law

– For educational purposes—in favor

– The work inaccessible to owner—in favor

– All of book—not in favor

– No economic impact—in favor

n Book for disabled student—may get help under ADA

n Publishers will not sue a customer

AMX Database

n http://exchange.htctu.fhda.edu/intro.html

Listings

n Approximately 4300 books

– Various formats

n Word, PDF, Braille, MP3, KESI

n Over 1000 captioned videos

– Some vendors of captioning

– Some transcripts

n About 130 campuses

– CA, OR, MA, IN, IL, WA

Participation

n Based on reciprocity

– Postsecondary institutions creating alternate formats eligible to join

n Data only—no content

n Contact us to join

Other Resources

n Listserve for alternate media

n Curriculum for assistive technology

n Trainings (space-available basis)

n Documents and resources

n Resource and referral

Trainings

n Three trainers

– Web Accessibility

– Assistive Computer Technology (ACT)

– Alternate Media

n Many topics

– Reading/creating Braille, Web access, accessible PDFs, DAISY, ACT (JAWS, Dragon, Kurzweil, etc.), captioning

www.htctu.net

Contact

n Gaeir (rhymes with “fire”) Dietrich

– gdietrich@htctu.net

– 408-996-6043

n www.htctu.net