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
– 408-996-6043
n
www.htctu.net