From ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu Tue Feb 1 09:46:38 2005 From: ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu (Stewart, Ron) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:57 2018 Subject: [athen] FW: ERIC Usability Testing Message-ID: <2B8B2BD3A0D58F41B0F28F215AF4901D01ABF71D@mtadams.nws.oregonstate.edu> Anyone involved in this effort? Ron Dear EBSS members, On behalf of the ERIC team, we would like to once again extend an invitation to participate in ERIC usability testing. As you may know, our plans were originally announced at the ERIC Users Discussion Group Meeting during the Boston ALA Meeting on 1/16/2005. The Department of Education is encouraging EBSS members to get involved in ERIC usability testing. As part of the Department's ongoing commitment to soliciting user feedback, we will be conducting usability tests on the ERIC Web site at periodic intervals in the coming year. We're currently seeking ERIC users for sessions to be conducted in early March. The locations and dates are as follows: - Washington DC, March 3rd and 4th. - Austin TX, March 9th and 10th. - Remote usability testing - exact dates yet to be determined, however likely to take place during week of March 14th. We would also like to hear from ERIC users who may not be available in March, but wish to participate in the future. The attached word document provides more information about ERIC usability testing and our plans. (See attached file: eric_usability_testing_update_2005.doc) We hope EBSS members will get involved and provide feedback and suggestions. Thanks in advance for your assistance. Looking forward to your response. Note: If you are interested in participating in March usability testing please contact me by Friday, February 4th. Best regards, Pete ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------- Pete McNally Senior Usability Engineer - ERIC Usability Team CSC Consulting Group 266 Second Ave Waltham, MA 02451 USA 781.290.1507 pmcnall3@csc.com http://netx.ebusiness.csc.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------- This is a PRIVATE message. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete without copying and kindly advise us by e-mail of the mistake in delivery. NOTE: Regardless of content, this e-mail shall not operate to bind CSC to any order or other contract unless pursuant to explicit written agreement or government initiative expressly permitting the use of e-mail for such purpose. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------- -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: eric_usability_testing_update_2005.doc Type: application/msword Size: 934912 bytes Desc: eric_usability_testing_update_2005.doc URL: From aschmetz at uwsp.edu Wed Feb 2 08:08:58 2005 From: aschmetz at uwsp.edu (Schmetzke, Axel) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:57 2018 Subject: [athen] FW: ERIC Usability Testing Message-ID: <2C858E195DF38D478FCC18DA923926490225A675@ems4.uwsp.edu> I posted a message to the axslib listserv about two days ago, encouraging its members to participate. I also asked for anyone deciding to get involved to let the other members in forum know about it. So far, there hasn't been a single response. Ron, are you considering getting involved? This would be great! Greetings, Axel ************** Axel Schmetzke Library University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point 715-346-4658 (also moderator of axslib) -----Original Message----- From: athen-bounces@lists.oregonstate.edu [mailto:athen-bounces@lists.oregonstate.edu] On Behalf Of Stewart, Ron Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2005 11:47 AM To: athen@lists.oregonstate.edu; ADTECH-PS Subject: [athen] FW: ERIC Usability Testing Anyone involved in this effort? Ron Dear EBSS members, On behalf of the ERIC team, we would like to once again extend an invitation to participate in ERIC usability testing. As you may know, our plans were originally announced at the ERIC Users Discussion Group Meeting during the Boston ALA Meeting on 1/16/2005. The Department of Education is encouraging EBSS members to get involved in ERIC usability testing. As part of the Department's ongoing commitment to soliciting user feedback, we will be conducting usability tests on the ERIC Web site at periodic intervals in the coming year. We're currently seeking ERIC users for sessions to be conducted in early March. The locations and dates are as follows: - Washington DC, March 3rd and 4th. - Austin TX, March 9th and 10th. - Remote usability testing - exact dates yet to be determined, however likely to take place during week of March 14th. We would also like to hear from ERIC users who may not be available in March, but wish to participate in the future. The attached word document provides more information about ERIC usability testing and our plans. (See attached file: eric_usability_testing_update_2005.doc) We hope EBSS members will get involved and provide feedback and suggestions. Thanks in advance for your assistance. Looking forward to your response. Note: If you are interested in participating in March usability testing please contact me by Friday, February 4th. Best regards, Pete ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------- Pete McNally Senior Usability Engineer - ERIC Usability Team CSC Consulting Group 266 Second Ave Waltham, MA 02451 USA 781.290.1507 pmcnall3@csc.com http://netx.ebusiness.csc.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------- This is a PRIVATE message. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete without copying and kindly advise us by e-mail of the mistake in delivery. NOTE: Regardless of content, this e-mail shall not operate to bind CSC to any order or other contract unless pursuant to explicit written agreement or government initiative expressly permitting the use of e-mail for such purpose. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------- From ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu Thu Feb 3 14:11:20 2005 From: ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu (Stewart, Ron) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:57 2018 Subject: [athen] FW: Copyright and Learning Article Message-ID: <2B8B2BD3A0D58F41B0F28F215AF4901D01ABF97F@mtadams.nws.oregonstate.edu> Very good article on copywrite. http://www.irrodl.org/content/v5.3/mcgreal.html <> -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: IRRODL Stealing the Goose Copyright and Learning.url Type: application/octet-stream Size: 170 bytes Desc: IRRODL Stealing the Goose Copyright and Learning.url URL: From ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu Thu Feb 3 15:24:49 2005 From: ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu (Stewart, Ron) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:57 2018 Subject: [athen] Cool validation tool Message-ID: <2B8B2BD3A0D58F41B0F28F215AF4901D01ABF9A2@mtadams.nws.oregonstate.edu> One of my usability folks just ran across a new validation tool, or at least one that is new to us. http://www.alphaworks.ibm.com/tech/adesigner I'd like to hear your feedback. Ron ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ron Stewart, Director Technology Access Program Information Services Oregon State University 109 Kidder Hall Corvallis, Oregon 97331 Phone: 1.541.737.7307 Fax: 1.541.737.2159 E-mail: Ron.Stewart@oregonstate.edu WWW: http://tap.oregonstate.edu From pcress at ku.edu Tue Feb 8 07:52:57 2005 From: pcress at ku.edu (Cress, Pamela J) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:57 2018 Subject: [athen] need help with Access database Message-ID: <9458E0CE8047904A92FB739F959A6F0003418C19@skylark2.home.ku.edu> Hi all. I'm hoping for help from this knowledgeable group. We need to develop a fairly large Access database and, of course, it needs to be accessible to people who use screen readers. Do you know of any developers who have expertise/experience doing this? Any leads will be greatly appreciated. Pamela Cress University of Kansas Institute for Life Span Studies phone: 620-421-6550, ext. 1888 e-mail: pcress@ku.edu From tft at u.washington.edu Tue Feb 8 09:24:19 2005 From: tft at u.washington.edu (tft@u.washington.edu) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:57 2018 Subject: [athen] Chronicle article: Academic Technology Lags in Accessibility to Disabled Students, Survey Finds Message-ID: <20050208172419.3567126126E@wwwmail.chronicle.com> An article from The Chronicle of Higher Education was forwarded to you by: tft@u.washington.edu The following message was enclosed: Hi all, The ATHEN Survey got some exposure in the Chronicle! Terry This article, "Academic Technology Lags in Accessibility to Disabled Students, Survey Finds," is available online at this address: http://chronicle.com/temp/email.php?id=gchcim52tc3w3ofmcugleasgs8bhlf2v This article will be available to non-subscribers of The Chronicle for up to five days after it is e-mailed. The article is always available to Chronicle subscribers at this address: http://chronicle.com/weekly/v51/i23/23a03502.htm _________________________________________________________________ Finding it hard to keep up with all that's happening in academe? The Chronicle's e-mailed Daily Report keeps you up-to-date in a matter of minutes by quickly summarizing current events in higher education while providing links to complete coverage on our subscriber-only Web site. The Daily Report and Web access come with your Chronicle subscription at no extra cost. Order your subscription now at http://chronicle.com/4free?es _________________________________________________________________ Visit us on the Web -- http://chronicle.com Careers & advice -- http://chroniclecareers.com Opinions & critique -- http://chroniclereview.com Arts & Letters Daily -- http://aldaily.com _________________________________________________________________ If you have other problems or questions, please send a message to help@chronicle.com _________________________________________________________________ Copyright (c) The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inc. From djbrky at bu.edu Wed Feb 9 12:31:27 2005 From: djbrky at bu.edu (Berkowitz, Daniel J) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:57 2018 Subject: [athen] AHEAD National Conference Message-ID: <8E929D499290744FA1BAFB2A63F3128B05CFF8BA@XMS.ad2.bu.edu> ================================== Daniel J. Berkowitz Assistant Director Boston University Office of Disability Services 19 Deerfield Street, 2nd floor Boston, MA 02215 617-353-3658 (voice) 617-353-9646 (fax) 617-947-4666 (mobile) djbrky@bu.edu (eMail) buodsdann (aim) http://www.bu.edu/disability This may be a bit premature - but who among us is attending the AHEAD National in August? ================================== Daniel J. Berkowitz Assistant Director Boston University Office of Disability Services 19 Deerfield Street, 2nd floor Boston, MA 02215 617-353-3658 (voice) 617-353-9646 (fax) 617-947-4666 (mobile) djbrky@bu.edu (eMail) buodsdann (aim) http://www.bu.edu/disability From ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu Wed Feb 9 13:27:10 2005 From: ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu (Stewart, Ron) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:57 2018 Subject: [athen] AHEAD National Conference Message-ID: <2B8B2BD3A0D58F41B0F28F215AF4901D01ABFD3A@mtadams.nws.oregonstate.edu> I will be and intend to schedule and ATHEN meeting there. Ron Stewart -----Original Message----- From: athen-bounces@lists.oregonstate.edu [mailto:athen-bounces@lists.oregonstate.edu] On Behalf Of Berkowitz, Daniel J Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2005 12:31 PM To: tft@u.washington.edu; athen@lists.oregonstate.edu Subject: [athen] AHEAD National Conference ================================== Daniel J. Berkowitz Assistant Director Boston University Office of Disability Services 19 Deerfield Street, 2nd floor Boston, MA 02215 617-353-3658 (voice) 617-353-9646 (fax) 617-947-4666 (mobile) djbrky@bu.edu (eMail) buodsdann (aim) http://www.bu.edu/disability This may be a bit premature - but who among us is attending the AHEAD National in August? ================================== Daniel J. Berkowitz Assistant Director Boston University Office of Disability Services 19 Deerfield Street, 2nd floor Boston, MA 02215 617-353-3658 (voice) 617-353-9646 (fax) 617-947-4666 (mobile) djbrky@bu.edu (eMail) buodsdann (aim) http://www.bu.edu/disability _______________________________________________ athen mailing list athen@lists.oregonstate.edu http://lists.oregonstate.edu/mailman/listinfo/athen To unsubscribe, send a message to: athen-request@lists.oregonstate.edu with the word "unsubscribe" in the body. From ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu Wed Feb 9 13:37:02 2005 From: ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu (Stewart, Ron) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:57 2018 Subject: [athen] ATHEN Meeting at CSUN Message-ID: <2B8B2BD3A0D58F41B0F28F215AF4901D01ABFD3C@mtadams.nws.oregonstate.edu> We will be holding our annual meeting at CSUN on Wed March 16th from 5:00-6:30 PM in Executive Suite II at the Marriot. More details will be sent out shortly, and if you have items for the agenda please send them to me privately. Ron Stewart ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ron Stewart, Director Technology Access Program Information Services Oregon State University 109 Kidder Hall Corvallis, Oregon 97331 Phone: 1.541.737.7307 Fax: 1.541.737.2159 E-mail: Ron.Stewart@oregonstate.edu WWW: http://tap.oregonstate.edu From ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu Wed Feb 9 15:45:36 2005 From: ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu (Stewart, Ron) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:57 2018 Subject: [athen] ATHEN at CSUN Meeting Message-ID: <2B8B2BD3A0D58F41B0F28F215AF4901D01ABFD6E@mtadams.nws.oregonstate.edu> I am going to need a headcount of the number of folks who are planning on attending the ATHEN meeting at CSUN. Ron ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ron Stewart, Director Technology Access Program Information Services Oregon State University 109 Kidder Hall Corvallis, Oregon 97331 Phone: 1.541.737.7307 Fax: 1.541.737.2159 E-mail: Ron.Stewart@oregonstate.edu WWW: http://tap.oregonstate.edu From gdietrich at htctu.net Wed Feb 9 17:35:06 2005 From: gdietrich at htctu.net (Gaeir Dietrich) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:57 2018 Subject: [athen] ATHEN Meeting at CSUN In-Reply-To: <2B8B2BD3A0D58F41B0F28F215AF4901D01ABFD3C@mtadams.nws.oregonstate.edu> Message-ID: <20050210013511.2C2181284AA@smtp1.oregonstate.edu> If anyone would like to contribute an article to the ATHEN e-journal, please submit it to me by March 1. The focus of this first issue is e-text, and currently I only have one article. Thanks! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Gaeir (rhymes with "fire") Dietrich Alternate Media Training Specialist / Instructor High Tech Center Training Unit De Anza College, Cupertino, CA 408.996.6043 www.htctu.net -----Original Message----- From: athen-bounces@lists.oregonstate.edu [mailto:athen-bounces@lists.oregonstate.edu] On Behalf Of Stewart, Ron Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2005 1:37 PM To: athen@lists.oregonstate.edu Subject: [athen] ATHEN Meeting at CSUN We will be holding our annual meeting at CSUN on Wed March 16th from 5:00-6:30 PM in Executive Suite II at the Marriot. More details will be sent out shortly, and if you have items for the agenda please send them to me privately. Ron Stewart ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ron Stewart, Director Technology Access Program Information Services Oregon State University 109 Kidder Hall Corvallis, Oregon 97331 Phone: 1.541.737.7307 Fax: 1.541.737.2159 E-mail: Ron.Stewart@oregonstate.edu WWW: http://tap.oregonstate.edu _______________________________________________ athen mailing list athen@lists.oregonstate.edu http://lists.oregonstate.edu/mailman/listinfo/athen To unsubscribe, send a message to: athen-request@lists.oregonstate.edu with the word "unsubscribe" in the body. From djbrky at bu.edu Wed Feb 9 18:32:09 2005 From: djbrky at bu.edu (Berkowitz, Daniel J) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:57 2018 Subject: [athen] AHEAD National Conference & Funding opptys Message-ID: <8E929D499290744FA1BAFB2A63F3128B01F696E9@XMS.ad2.bu.edu> Good to know -- I am looking forward to it. By the way - for those AHEAD members among us, and in light of the CHE article posted here which quoted the ATHEN survey, there are two funding opportunities I would like to bring to your attention. Both of these are in the AHEAD Members Only Section. 1) Application for Initiative Funding. 2) Leadership Institute on Universal Design. The purpose of the institute is to further explore reframing disability, re-designing disability services and infusing universal design concepts in postsecondary campuses and AHEAD. Resource materials to be used before, during and after the session will be included. ---Dann ________________________________ From: athen-bounces@lists.oregonstate.edu on behalf of Stewart, Ron Sent: Wed 2/9/2005 4:27 PM To: athen@lists.oregonstate.edu Subject: RE: [athen] AHEAD National Conference I will be and intend to schedule and ATHEN meeting there. Ron Stewart -----Original Message----- From: athen-bounces@lists.oregonstate.edu [mailto:athen-bounces@lists.oregonstate.edu] On Behalf Of Berkowitz, Daniel J Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2005 12:31 PM To: tft@u.washington.edu; athen@lists.oregonstate.edu Subject: [athen] AHEAD National Conference ================================== Daniel J. Berkowitz Assistant Director Boston University Office of Disability Services 19 Deerfield Street, 2nd floor Boston, MA 02215 617-353-3658 (voice) 617-353-9646 (fax) 617-947-4666 (mobile) djbrky@bu.edu (eMail) buodsdann (aim) http://www.bu.edu/disability This may be a bit premature - but who among us is attending the AHEAD National in August? ================================== Daniel J. Berkowitz Assistant Director Boston University Office of Disability Services 19 Deerfield Street, 2nd floor Boston, MA 02215 617-353-3658 (voice) 617-353-9646 (fax) 617-947-4666 (mobile) djbrky@bu.edu (eMail) buodsdann (aim) http://www.bu.edu/disability _______________________________________________ athen mailing list athen@lists.oregonstate.edu http://lists.oregonstate.edu/mailman/listinfo/athen To unsubscribe, send a message to: athen-request@lists.oregonstate.edu with the word "unsubscribe" in the body. _______________________________________________ athen mailing list athen@lists.oregonstate.edu http://lists.oregonstate.edu/mailman/listinfo/athen To unsubscribe, send a message to: athen-request@lists.oregonstate.edu with the word "unsubscribe" in the body. From hmaxwell3 at earthlink.net Thu Feb 10 12:13:58 2005 From: hmaxwell3 at earthlink.net (Helene Maxwell) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:57 2018 Subject: [athen] Alt Media Specialist Position References: <2B8B2BD3A0D58F41B0F28F215AF4901D01ABF97F@mtadams.nws.oregonstate.edu> Message-ID: <00be01c50fad$211b18f0$7e05140a@ad.peralta.edu> College of Alameda in the San Francisco Bay Area has a .5 permanent position for Alt Media Specialist. This is a 20 hour per week, 12 month position. College of Alameda DSPS serves over 500 students each year. We have great staff and supportive administration. Please go to the Peralta District web site for more information: http://www.peralta.cc.ca.us/personnel/jobs.htm Then click on Classified positions. Thank you for passing this information along! Helene Helene Maxwell, Coordinator Programs and Services for Students with Disabilities College of Alameda Alameda, CA. (510) 748-2326 From ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu Thu Feb 10 14:58:24 2005 From: ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu (Stewart, Ron) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:57 2018 Subject: [athen] CSU-Fullerton Alt Format OCR Letter Message-ID: <2B8B2BD3A0D58F41B0F28F215AF4901D01CB6531@mtadams.nws.oregonstate.edu> I have attached the OCR letter of findings for the Alt Format complaint from CSU-Fullerton. As should be said this decision only applies to this case and should only be used as a guide to inform our practice. Thanks Gaeir for sending this out. Ron ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ron Stewart, Director Technology Access Program Information Services Oregon State University 109 Kidder Hall Corvallis, Oregon 97331 Phone: 1.541.737.7307 Fax: 1.541.737.2159 E-mail: Ron.Stewart@oregonstate.edu WWW: http://tap.oregonstate.edu From ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu Thu Feb 10 14:58:24 2005 From: ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu (Stewart, Ron) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:57 2018 Subject: [athen] CSU-Fullerton Alt Format OCR Letter Message-ID: <2B8B2BD3A0D58F41B0F28F215AF4901D01CB6533@mtadams.nws.oregonstate.edu> Whoops, lets try this again I have attached the OCR letter of findings for the Alt Format complaint from CSU-Fullerton. As should be said this decision only applies to this case and should only be used as a guide to inform our practice. Thanks Gaeir for sending this out. Ron ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ron Stewart, Director Technology Access Program Information Services Oregon State University 109 Kidder Hall Corvallis, Oregon 97331 Phone: 1.541.737.7307 Fax: 1.541.737.2159 E-mail: Ron.Stewart@oregonstate.edu WWW: http://tap.oregonstate.edu -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: OCR_fullerton_letter.doc Type: application/msword Size: 67072 bytes Desc: OCR_fullerton_letter.doc URL: From gerrynies at mail.und.nodak.edu Fri Feb 11 12:57:56 2005 From: gerrynies at mail.und.nodak.edu (Gerry Nies) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:57 2018 Subject: [athen] Subtitling DVD Message-ID: We have been captioning tapes with CPC captioning software. We are venturing into the DVD area. I am looking for recommendations for software to rip so I can get an avi file We will generate the text file I then will need DVD authoring software Also if you are doing this what DVD format would you recommend Any advice recommendations would be greatly appreciated Thanks Gerry Nies Information Technology Tech Disability Support Services University of North Dakota (701)777-3827 (701)777-4170 FAX gerrynies@mail.und.nodak.edu STOP! This message is CONFIDENTIAL, intended only for the named recipient(s) and may contain information that is privileged or exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are NOT the intended recipient(s), you are notified that the dissemination, distribution or copying of this message is strictly prohibited. If you receive this message in error, or are not the named recipient(s), please notify the sender at the above mentioned e-mail or telephone number and delete this e-mail from your computer -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu Fri Feb 11 13:20:02 2005 From: ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu (Stewart, Ron) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:57 2018 Subject: [athen] Subtitling DVD Message-ID: <2B8B2BD3A0D58F41B0F28F215AF4901D01CB65C9@mtadams.nws.oregonstate.edu> We have just finished the development stages of a DVD subtitling program, as the final component of our captioning center. We are doing everything on a G5 mac and using the Apple Production Suite. most the work is being done with the DVD Pro software. Should have our docs done in a couple of weeks and are more that willing to share. One thing we have noticed is, and it is a know bug with apple that on longer DVD captures the audio and subtitles get out of sync. It is caused by a difference in capture rate (30fps vs 29.97fps) between the different software components, but if you break the DVD capture up into smaller segments and make a small timeline adjustment it fixes the problem. On the windows side we are using Uleads DVD studio but find that the Mac stuff works so much better. Ron ________________________________ From: athen-bounces@lists.oregonstate.edu [mailto:athen-bounces@lists.oregonstate.edu] On Behalf Of Gerry Nies Sent: Friday, February 11, 2005 12:58 PM To: athen@lists.oregonstate.edu Subject: [athen] Subtitling DVD We have been captioning tapes with CPC captioning software. We are venturing into the DVD area. I am looking for recommendations for software to rip so I can get an avi file We will generate the text file I then will need DVD authoring software Also if you are doing this what DVD format would you recommend Any advice recommendations would be greatly appreciated Thanks Gerry Nies Information Technology Tech Disability Support Services University of North Dakota (701)777-3827 (701)777-4170 FAX gerrynies@mail.und.nodak.edu STOP! This message is CONFIDENTIAL, intended only for the named recipient(s) and may contain information that is privileged or exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are NOT the intended recipient(s), you are notified that the dissemination, distribution or copying of this message is strictly prohibited. If you receive this message in error, or are not the named recipient(s), please notify the sender at the above mentioned e-mail or telephone number and delete this e-mail from your computer -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu Mon Feb 21 12:44:34 2005 From: ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu (Stewart, Ron) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:57 2018 Subject: [athen] Best practices for Blind and VI Message-ID: <2B8B2BD3A0D58F41B0F28F215AF4901D01CB6AA4@mtadams.nws.oregonstate.edu> Thought you might find this resource of us: http://www.umt.edu/dss/ahead/ Ron ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ron Stewart, Director Technology Access Program Information Services Oregon State University 109 Kidder Hall Corvallis, Oregon 97331 Phone: 1.541.737.7307 Fax: 1.541.737.2159 E-mail: Ron.Stewart@oregonstate.edu WWW: http://tap.oregonstate.edu From ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu Mon Feb 21 15:41:40 2005 From: ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu (Stewart, Ron) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:57 2018 Subject: [athen] John Hockenberry's Commentary on Eastwood Film Message-ID: <2B8B2BD3A0D58F41B0F28F215AF4901D01CB6AEB@mtadams.nws.oregonstate.edu> Some of you may appreciate this. Ron [An op-ed column from NBC News Correspondent, John Hockenberry:] And the Loser Is... By John Hockenberry One can barely imagine how relieved the movie critics now climbing over themselves to defend Clint Eastwood were to see the right-wing media going after Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby. Suddenly they were free to set the dispute into a broad culture war context as Frank Rich did last week. They were free finally to ignore the true outrage of the movie. These same critics failed millions of Americans with disabilities by accepting as utterly plausible the plot-twist that a quadriplegic would sputter into medical agony in a matter of months and embrace suicide as her only option in a nation where millions of people with spinal cord injuries lead full long lives. No, these critics would much prefer to talk about offenses against poor victimized directors, comparing Eastwood to last year's besieged Michael Moore rather than to talk about their own failings or about a group which has never had any standing in the culture wars. Plot twist is, in fact, an apt description of Million Dollar Baby's ending. A spinal cord injury followed by a dolorous slo-mo sipping of Eastwood's poetic hemlock avoids the inconvenient truth that a female athlete outside of basketball and perhaps professional mud-wrestling has virtually no opportunity to make a living in America. That might make a more plausible reason for suicide than the rationale Million Dollar Baby supplies. Hollywood loves this disabled suicide plot and Eastwood is hardly the only director to be enthralled with might be called the crip ex machina theatrical convention. How delusional is it for Hollywood to spend billions on teen flicks and big budget films where teens and youth culture star and yet there is practically never any mention that suicide is the number one public health concern for American teenagers, one of the leading causes of teen deaths? Somehow teen-suicide seems just nutty compared to depressed quadriplegics offing themselves. Maybe the plot twist Hollywood seems so desperate to defend isn't really assisted suicide. Maybe its Eastwood's own epic saga of slogging to the Oscar summit that gets these critics all misty eyed? As a right-wing culture war target, rather than an anti- disabled bigot, Eastwood and the critics can certainly avoid mentioning the director's high-profile campaign against the American With Disabilities act after he was sued for owning an inaccessible restaurant. The thought of insulting or offending millions of people who live full lives despite a myriad of restrictions on their freedoms and a palpable sense of impatience that we're "not dead yet" at all enter the minds of these movie culture warriors. Had it occurred to them, they might have mentioned that Rush Limbaugh and his gang were among the biggest critics of the ADA, have endorsed restrictions on healthcare support for people in need of long-term rehabilitation and have eagerly used disabled rights to further their own agenda when convenient. If Mr. Eastwood is so convinced that his film is grounded in reality then perhaps he might wish to accompany me to the U.S. Army's Walter Reed Medical Center in Maryland where there are 1000 or so severely disabled soldiers from Iraq whose lives are changed forever, who were told they fought for Iraqi freedom and are now perhaps wondering, along with their families, who is going to fight for their freedom to live a full life here in America. As a paraplegic for three decades I can help them with that question. Would Mr. tough guy Eastwood and his new pals Frank Rich and Roger Ebert have the guts to defend Million Dollar Baby's "plausible" message of suicidal disabled people? Would they offer to helpfully pull the plug on these soldiers? How's that for a plot twist? Thank God there is another message of hope and strength inside Walter Reed and in pockets of sanity in this country. I pray that someday it's a plausible one in Hollywood and throughout America. John Hockenberry is an author and correspondent for NBC News. He lives in New York with his wonderful wife Allison, and their equally wonderful kids, Zoe, Olivia, Regan and Zachary. # # # From ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu Tue Feb 22 18:24:05 2005 From: ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu (Stewart, Ron) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:57 2018 Subject: [athen] Access to E-Text Dilemma Message-ID: <2B8B2BD3A0D58F41B0F28F215AF4901D01CB6C20@mtadams.nws.oregonstate.edu> I would like your feedback, comments and direction to any relevant research that address this question: Why is it so difficult to move disability services offices from a blindness centric model of e-text and alt format provision, to a more holistic model that is really willing to consider all individuals with print disabilities? In our heart of hearts, or at least mine, I think we all know that access to good quality electronic resources helps to level the playing field but why are our peers in the DS offices so unwilling to embrace this progressive strategy. Money is the obvious answer, and the one that I keep hearing from campuses, but I do not find that to be a viable response given what I see is the increasing student effectiveness that is provided by e-text and e-book access. Can you point me to any research that support my conclusion, and any that argues against it. Have any of you had to formulate a similar argument for an e-text production program, what do you think? Given that there are over 300 people subscribed to these two lists I hope to hear from more than the usual active participants. Ron ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ron Stewart, Director Technology Access Program Information Services Oregon State University 109 Kidder Hall Corvallis, Oregon 97331 Phone: 1.541.737.7307 Fax: 1.541.737.2159 E-mail: Ron.Stewart@oregonstate.edu WWW: http://tap.oregonstate.edu From ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu Wed Feb 23 09:16:04 2005 From: ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu (Stewart, Ron) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:57 2018 Subject: [athen] FW: [adtech-ps] Access to E-Text Dilemma Message-ID: <2B8B2BD3A0D58F41B0F28F215AF4901D01138B23@mtadams.nws.oregonstate.edu> From: Prof Norm Coombs [mailto:nrcgsh@rit.edu] Sent: Wed 2/23/2005 6:40 AM To: Stewart, Ron Subject: Re: [adtech-ps] Access to E-Text Dilemma Ron: Obviously I cannot speak for DSS offices, but I do have some thoughts. First, I don't know where to locate it, but I recall a court document specifically stating that electronic texts was by far the best, most effective and least costly, way to provide alternative texts for those needing it. Second, I had a lot of experience at the Rochester Institute of Technology and its National Technical Institute for the Deaf with the attitudes of deaf students and what help systems they wanted. Information technology and computer communications provided opportunities for these students to increase their independence. For myself, as a blind person, there is little else that I value more than increasing my personal independence. I'd just about kill for more of it! I continually found deaf students resisting tools that would enhance their independence and falling back on human support, interpreters and special tutors. I'd offer to provide special tutoring for students who were deaf in my classes. We'd share a keyboard for discussions. Few came. They preferred their special tutor. Now, the tutor was never in my classroom nor talked personally with me. Still they took course content and tried to tutor the student. I'd have thought everyone would want to hear how the professor understood the content rather than having an outside person explaining their understanding. Frankly, I felt these students were embedded in a womb of special support protecting them from the rest of the world and resisted independence and resisted changing any of their coping mechanisms. They preferred the old tried ways, like a farmer refusing to learn from new ways, and sticking with doing things the way they were always done. Fear of change and fear of independence which, essentially means, being alone rather than having hand-holding. I think that, either the DSS office needs to get out of the nurturing, helping mode and push students into independence like a mother bird pushing the chicks out of the nest, or, maybe, in another 5-10 years, a new batch of students coming to college may have learned independence in K-12. Frankly, when I advise any young person with a disability, I urge them to run as far away from rehab as they can as it too frequently fosters dependency and cripples them. I fear that DSS offices sometimes also foster dependency. Now there's my prejudiced view! At 06:24 PM 2/22/2005, you wrote: >I would like your feedback, comments and direction to any relevant >research that address this question: > >Why is it so difficult to move disability services offices from a >blindness centric model of e-text and alt format provision, to a more >holistic model that is really willing to consider all individuals with >print disabilities? > >In our heart of hearts, or at least mine, I think we all know that >access to good quality electronic resources helps to level the playing >field but why are our peers in the DS offices so unwilling to embrace >this progressive strategy. Money is the obvious answer, and the one >that I keep hearing from campuses, but I do not find that to be a viable >response given what I see is the increasing student effectiveness that >is provided by e-text and e-book access. > >Can you point me to any research that support my conclusion, and any >that argues against it. Have any of you had to formulate a similar >argument for an e-text production program, what do you think? > >Given that there are over 300 people subscribed to these two lists I >hope to hear from more than the usual active participants. > >Ron > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >Ron Stewart, Director >Technology Access Program >Information Services >Oregon State University >109 Kidder Hall >Corvallis, Oregon 97331 >Phone: 1.541.737.7307 >Fax: 1.541.737.2159 >E-mail: Ron.Stewart@oregonstate.edu >WWW: http://tap.oregonstate.edu > >_______________________________________________ >adtech-ps mailing list >adtech-ps@lists.oregonstate.edu >http://lists.oregonstate.edu/mailman/listinfo/adtech-ps > >To unsubscribe, send a message to: >adtech-ps-request@lists.oregonstate.edu >with the word "unsubscribe" in the body. ----------------------------- EASI Online Courses Starting March 7 2005: Barrier-free Information Technology http://easi.cc/workshops/adaptit.htm Learning Disabilities and Accessible IT http://easi.cc/workshops/ld.htm Register for the all-day Webcast from the 2005 CSUN conference March 17 http://easi.cc/clinic.htm (Five EASI courses earn the Certificate in Accessible Information Technology Norman Coombs, Ph.D. EASI (Equal Access to Software and Information) Cell 949 922-5992 Home 949 855-4852 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu Wed Feb 23 09:17:04 2005 From: ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu (Stewart, Ron) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:57 2018 Subject: FW: [athen] Access to E-Text Dilemma Message-ID: <2B8B2BD3A0D58F41B0F28F215AF4901D01138B24@mtadams.nws.oregonstate.edu> From: Teresa Wells [mailto:tlwells@uark.edu] Sent: Wed 2/23/2005 6:15 AM To: Stewart, Ron Subject: RE: [athen] Access to E-Text Dilemma Hi, Ron. I guess I've been "progressive" from the time I got into this business, but I've always provided alternative format for all students with print disabilities, and always attempted to provide the format(s) which worked best for each individual student. This includes not only Braille (hardcopy and electronic, including tactile graphics) but also many different versions of e-text (Word, RTF, txt, and DAISY files) and audio (tape [2- and 4-track], MP3, CDA, and DAISY, including both human and synthesized speech). I've even provided debind and spiral bind service for students with mobility disabilities who only needed to be able to more easily hold and turn pages on books. My universities have, on rare occasions, considered cutting my budgets and each time I or my superiors have simply said "No. We have a commitment and a responsibility as an institution to provide effective access, and we are going to do so." And although we may have to scrimp someplace else in the budget, like travel, we always get enough funding to provide text access. Last year my Vice Chancellor funded my one professional development trip out of her own office budget so that my budget could continue to serve students. Bottom line: for me it's been a matter of standing up to the administrations and refusing to take "no" for an answer. It never hurts to show them the results of other schools' OCR cases and how much cheaper/easier it is to do a job right in the first place... I also campaign on the Universal Design platform all the time, both with the administration and with individual faculty; progress is slow, but perceptible. More of my students each year are making it through some of their classes with absolutely no conversion necessary on my end because their faculty have planned ahead and made their courses and materials accessible from the start. There's still work to be done, but we're making progress... Hope this helps, Teresa -----Original Message----- From: athen-bounces@lists.oregonstate.edu [mailto:athen-bounces@lists.oregonstate.edu]On Behalf Of Stewart, Ron Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2005 8:24 PM To: adtech-ps@lists.oregonstate.edu; athen@lists.oregonstate.edu Subject: [athen] Access to E-Text Dilemma I would like your feedback, comments and direction to any relevant research that address this question: Why is it so difficult to move disability services offices from a blindness centric model of e-text and alt format provision, to a more holistic model that is really willing to consider all individuals with print disabilities? In our heart of hearts, or at least mine, I think we all know that access to good quality electronic resources helps to level the playing field but why are our peers in the DS offices so unwilling to embrace this progressive strategy. Money is the obvious answer, and the one that I keep hearing from campuses, but I do not find that to be a viable response given what I see is the increasing student effectiveness that is provided by e-text and e-book access. Can you point me to any research that support my conclusion, and any that argues against it. Have any of you had to formulate a similar argument for an e-text production program, what do you think? Given that there are over 300 people subscribed to these two lists I hope to hear from more than the usual active participants. Ron ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ron Stewart, Director Technology Access Program Information Services Oregon State University 109 Kidder Hall Corvallis, Oregon 97331 Phone: 1.541.737.7307 Fax: 1.541.737.2159 E-mail: Ron.Stewart@oregonstate.edu WWW: http://tap.oregonstate.edu _______________________________________________ athen mailing list athen@lists.oregonstate.edu http://lists.oregonstate.edu/mailman/listinfo/athen To unsubscribe, send a message to: athen-request@lists.oregonstate.edu with the word "unsubscribe" in the body. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From djbrky at bu.edu Wed Feb 23 18:25:41 2005 From: djbrky at bu.edu (Berkowitz, Daniel J) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:57 2018 Subject: [athen] RE: [adtech-ps] Access to E-Text Dilemma (long response) Message-ID: <8E929D499290744FA1BAFB2A63F3128B01F69710@XMS.ad2.bu.edu> Ron, How interesting - I have a similar view on this subject but approach it from a different angle. In my opinion, the provision of textbooks in alternate formats has shifted to a cognitive disabilities paradigm. Every since RFB&D added the "D" in recognition of the then increasing (and now overwhelming) number of students they serve with learning disabilities, student with visual impairments have been losing ground in the minds and actions of disability service providers. It may not seem like it here - but hang-out on the NABS and ICU Listservs and you will witness a different opinion of how students with blindness and those with low vision are considered and serviced. I have spoken about this with my low-vision students and heard backlash both against the LD population and how the low-vision population has had to put up with alt-text services designed for dyslexics and modified to their needs - instead of the other way around. Outside of our profession, students for whom English is a second language can benefit from having alt-format materials. Over the past few years I have had low vision students from the Pacific Rim and having access to eText has not only allowed them access to course materials, but also assisted them in improving their English language skills. Money is of serious concern and for any eText production proposal it should be a central theme - the amount of money to be saved by doing this stuff in house. Of course the OCR-Fullerton letter helps the argument that doing it in-house is faster as well. As for traditional audiotapes - except for what is readily available from RFB&D and others, I have made the switch to eText for all of my students. Efficiency has increased dramatically as one student eText editor can clean and prep files much faster (and cheaper) than reading and recording. Programs such as Text to Audio and AT&T Natural Voices have allowed me to create audiobooks in a fraction of the time and effort needed to wrangle readers and track their progress. What eResources the institution is willing and able to offer is also a point to consider. The electronic resources available through campus libraries or subscription library services (money again) are also a resource for our students. Ron - you ask the direct question "why are our peers in the DS offices so unwilling to embrace this progressive strategy?" I do not believe it is a matter of being unwilling as much as it is a matter of being unable or unsupported or unfunded or a combination of them all. Your typical DSS office at a smaller institution is a single staff member who has enough on their plate without also having to learn all about eText. There are only so many hours in the day and institutional support for many of our professional peers is limited - at best. It is enough they keep their heads above water trying to keep up with their students basic needs let alone seek to influence or serve those not directly under their area of responsibility. Look at your job title - Director of Technology Access Program. I am certain you know how very rare your job and its title are. Look through the job titles of the people on these lists see how many are "coordinator" or "specialist" or "technologist" and how few have anything resembling the Director level as concerns technology in their title. Heck, I have "director" in my title but my official job responsibilities do not specifically mention eText or AT as they were written before such things existed. I would love to have a staff position dedicated to these matters. I have run a one-person office in previous jobs and know how difficult it can be. I suspect that most of our brethren out in postsecondary positions are not technically savvy or do not have the time or knowledge necessary to pursue the skills necessary to provide AT and/or eText. They know it to be important but they simply cannot fathom taking on additional responsibilities - and I do not blame them. How many of us know schools that have set up some sort of AT workstation or lab and it is either ignored by the students or woefully underutilized. How many other jobs out there call for such a diverse stable of abilities? For a good laugh sometime read some of the job descriptions on DSSHE or in the Chronicle. How many DSS coordinators are expected to be able to read and understand LD documentation, manage AT, counsel psych students, speak to campus facilities, create alt-format texts, have a working knowledge of all sorts of disabilities and issues -- small wonder so many either purposely limit what they do or burn out altogether. And as for the appreciation that there are 300 people on these two lists -- I am certain you understand that you are speaking to the choir - 300 individuals (a good number of whom may be overlapping lists) out of more than 3,500 colleges and universities and 6,500 registered 'higher education institutions' in the United States alone leaves many out of this discussion. I am not trying to be depressing but more play the Devils advocate -- in my years of experience I have spoken with and consoled my fellow professionals who are simply overwhelmed with expectations. Why do they not embrace your ideals? -- why not just pour gasoline of the flame ... To steer back to your original question - comments: The overall jist of your comments puts one in the mind of Universal Design. For some of the best work available regarding UDL I recommend visiting the website of CAST: http://www.cast.org/udl/ The on-line book Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age is an excellent primer on the topic! In many ways I place much of the responsibility on the shoulders of K-12 education and how they prepare students for postsecondary education. K-12 must redesign how they create student expectations for services. But that is another topic for another day. ================================== Daniel J. Berkowitz Assistant Director Boston University Office of Disability Services 19 Deerfield Street, 2nd floor Boston, MA 02215 617-353-3658 (voice) 617-353-9646 (fax) 617-947-4666 (mobile) djbrky@bu.edu (eMail) buodsdann (aim) http://www.bu.edu/disability -----Original Message----- From: adtech-ps-bounces@lists.oregonstate.edu [mailto:adtech-ps-bounces@lists.oregonstate.edu] On Behalf Of Stewart, Ron Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2005 9:24 PM To: adtech-ps@lists.oregonstate.edu; athen@lists.oregonstate.edu Subject: [adtech-ps] Access to E-Text Dilemma I would like your feedback, comments and direction to any relevant research that address this question: Why is it so difficult to move disability services offices from a blindness centric model of e-text and alt format provision, to a more holistic model that is really willing to consider all individuals with print disabilities? In our heart of hearts, or at least mine, I think we all know that access to good quality electronic resources helps to level the playing field but why are our peers in the DS offices so unwilling to embrace this progressive strategy. Money is the obvious answer, and the one that I keep hearing from campuses, but I do not find that to be a viable response given what I see is the increasing student effectiveness that is provided by e-text and e-book access. Can you point me to any research that support my conclusion, and any that argues against it. Have any of you had to formulate a similar argument for an e-text production program, what do you think? Given that there are over 300 people subscribed to these two lists I hope to hear from more than the usual active participants. Ron ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ron Stewart, Director Technology Access Program Information Services Oregon State University 109 Kidder Hall Corvallis, Oregon 97331 Phone: 1.541.737.7307 Fax: 1.541.737.2159 E-mail: Ron.Stewart@oregonstate.edu WWW: http://tap.oregonstate.edu _______________________________________________ adtech-ps mailing list adtech-ps@lists.oregonstate.edu http://lists.oregonstate.edu/mailman/listinfo/adtech-ps To unsubscribe, send a message to: adtech-ps-request@lists.oregonstate.edu with the word "unsubscribe" in the body. From djbrky at bu.edu Wed Feb 23 18:36:00 2005 From: djbrky at bu.edu (Berkowitz, Daniel J) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:57 2018 Subject: [athen] (no subject) Message-ID: <8E929D499290744FA1BAFB2A63F3128B01F69712@XMS.ad2.bu.edu> CAST National Consortium on Universal Design for Learning News ------------------------------------------------ An Electronic Newsletter http://www.cast.org/nationalconsortium Issue Number 19: February, 2005 http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=5504 ------------------------------------------------- Issue 19 of the Consortium Newsletter focuses on accessible materials and use of hand helds for data driven decision making to inform instruction. These topics are relevant and timely in promoting access, participation and progress in the general education curriculum for all learners. ------------------------------- In the majority of the nation's approximately 100,000 public and private K-12 schools, textbooks are the primary curriculum material. For many students, the textbook is a barrier to learning. Read "The Promise of Accessible Textbooks: Increased Achievement for All Students" (http://www.cast.org/ncac/index.cfm?i=5376) to gain a better understanding of the challenges, solutions, and policies that impact learners and educators. ------------------------------- The Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education (USDOE), identifies CAST as the leader of two NIMAS National Centers (http://nimas.cast.org), that guide the production and electronic distribution of digital versions of textbooks and other instructional materials so they can be more easily converted to accessible formats, including Braille and text-to-speech. The USDOE wrote that "students with blindness, low vision and print disabilities are expected to gain improved access to textbooks." ------------------------------- You are invited! AFB and CAST Present: What is NIMAS? The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) and CAST are proud to present: What is NIMAS?: A New File Format for Developing Textbooks and Instructional Materials for Students K-12 with Visual or Print Disabilities WHEN: Thursday, March 10, 2005 12:00 p.m. registration and light refreshments 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Discussion, Questions and Answers WHERE: Long Wharf Marriott in Boston, Massachusetts Register on-line at http://www.afb.org/NIMAS.asp ------------------------------- Data driven decision-making, centered on the collection and analysis of a range of student data, is widely recognized as fundamentally important for educators. What does the literature say about using data to inform instructional decision? Read "Improving Teaching and Learning with Data-Based Decisions: Asking the Right Questions and Acting on the Answers" (http://www.ers.org/spectrum/sum01a.htm) to respond to this question. ------------------------------- Power in the Palm of your Hands (http://kathyschrock.net/about.htm), developed by Kathy Schrock provides educators with resources that support effective use of handhelds for learning and instruction. ------------------------------- Learn how to gather timely student data, look at the data in a thoughtful and organized way, and make instructional decisions based upon your students' data. You can learn these, along with other related skills, by signing up for the latest addition to CAST's suite of professional development institutes, Universal Design for Learning and data driven decision making. In addition to Action Research Skills participants will learn to use PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) such as the Palm series, and the Sony Cli? to help them collect real-time student data. Participants will leave the institute with the knowledge and understanding necessary to begin to start using real-time student data to draw supportable conclusions that can guide their instructional decision making. Register now for this new CAST offering: Universal Design for Learning and Data-Driven Decision Making (http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=2417) Date: March 10 - 11 at CAST in Wakefield, MA ------------------------------- Newsletter Archive This issue: http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=5504 Online archive of the Consortium newsletters - take a look at back issues that highlight varied topics for providing access to the general education curriculum for all learners: http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=1100 ------------------------------- Take a look at other Professional Development Offerings (http://www.cast.org/udl/ProfessionalDevelopmentforEducatorsandTechnologyProfessionals2376.cfm) offered by CAST staff. ------------------------------------------------- Thank you for your interest in CAST and our work. It is our intention to send this newsletter to individuals who have requested to receive it. If you believe you are receiving this in error or wish to no longer receive it, you can unsubscribe by sending a message to natconsortium@cast.org with a subject of "unsubscribe consortium". Please feel free to forward this email to colleagues who may be interested in this content. Grace J. Meo Co-Director of the National Consortium on Universal Design for Learning mailto:gmeo@cast.org http://www.cast.org From ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu Wed Feb 23 18:53:51 2005 From: ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu (Stewart, Ron) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:57 2018 Subject: [athen] RE: [adtech-ps] UDL Message-ID: <2B8B2BD3A0D58F41B0F28F215AF4901D01138B32@mtadams.nws.oregonstate.edu> Good evening, I want to give a caveat about using the material from CAST as a source for UDL in adult education. The folks at CAST do very good work but CAST has a strong k-12 orientation and most of the work that they do reflects this. This is a very useful site as long as it is taken in this context. I would suggest that you also take a look at these resources which are more from an adult learner orientation: http://unh.edu/teaching-excellence/pdf/UDL.pdf http://www.facultyware.uconn.edu/home.htm Ron Stewart ________________________________ From: adtech-ps-bounces@lists.oregonstate.edu on behalf of Berkowitz, Daniel J Sent: Wed 2/23/2005 6:36 PM To: adtech-ps@lists.oregonstate.edu; athen@lists.oregonstate.edu Subject: [adtech-ps] (no subject) CAST National Consortium on Universal Design for Learning News ------------------------------------------------ An Electronic Newsletter http://www.cast.org/nationalconsortium Issue Number 19: February, 2005 http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=5504 ------------------------------------------------- Issue 19 of the Consortium Newsletter focuses on accessible materials and use of hand helds for data driven decision making to inform instruction. These topics are relevant and timely in promoting access, participation and progress in the general education curriculum for all learners. ------------------------------- In the majority of the nation's approximately 100,000 public and private K-12 schools, textbooks are the primary curriculum material. For many students, the textbook is a barrier to learning. Read "The Promise of Accessible Textbooks: Increased Achievement for All Students" (http://www.cast.org/ncac/index.cfm?i=5376) to gain a better understanding of the challenges, solutions, and policies that impact learners and educators. ------------------------------- The Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education (USDOE), identifies CAST as the leader of two NIMAS National Centers (http://nimas.cast.org), that guide the production and electronic distribution of digital versions of textbooks and other instructional materials so they can be more easily converted to accessible formats, including Braille and text-to-speech. The USDOE wrote that "students with blindness, low vision and print disabilities are expected to gain improved access to textbooks." ------------------------------- You are invited! AFB and CAST Present: What is NIMAS? The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) and CAST are proud to present: What is NIMAS?: A New File Format for Developing Textbooks and Instructional Materials for Students K-12 with Visual or Print Disabilities WHEN: Thursday, March 10, 2005 12:00 p.m. registration and light refreshments 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Discussion, Questions and Answers WHERE: Long Wharf Marriott in Boston, Massachusetts Register on-line at http://www.afb.org/NIMAS.asp ------------------------------- Data driven decision-making, centered on the collection and analysis of a range of student data, is widely recognized as fundamentally important for educators. What does the literature say about using data to inform instructional decision? Read "Improving Teaching and Learning with Data-Based Decisions: Asking the Right Questions and Acting on the Answers" (http://www.ers.org/spectrum/sum01a.htm) to respond to this question. ------------------------------- Power in the Palm of your Hands (http://kathyschrock.net/about.htm), developed by Kathy Schrock provides educators with resources that support effective use of handhelds for learning and instruction. ------------------------------- Learn how to gather timely student data, look at the data in a thoughtful and organized way, and make instructional decisions based upon your students' data. You can learn these, along with other related skills, by signing up for the latest addition to CAST's suite of professional development institutes, Universal Design for Learning and data driven decision making. In addition to Action Research Skills participants will learn to use PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) such as the Palm series, and the Sony Cli? to help them collect real-time student data. Participants will leave the institute with the knowledge and understanding necessary to begin to start using real-time student data to draw supportable conclusions that can guide their instructional decision making. Register now for this new CAST offering: Universal Design for Learning and Data-Driven Decision Making (http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=2417) Date: March 10 - 11 at CAST in Wakefield, MA ------------------------------- Newsletter Archive This issue: http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=5504 Online archive of the Consortium newsletters - take a look at back issues that highlight varied topics for providing access to the general education curriculum for all learners: http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=1100 ------------------------------- Take a look at other Professional Development Offerings (http://www.cast.org/udl/ProfessionalDevelopmentforEducatorsandTechnologyProfessionals2376.cfm) offered by CAST staff. ------------------------------------------------- Thank you for your interest in CAST and our work. It is our intention to send this newsletter to individuals who have requested to receive it. If you believe you are receiving this in error or wish to no longer receive it, you can unsubscribe by sending a message to natconsortium@cast.org with a subject of "unsubscribe consortium". Please feel free to forward this email to colleagues who may be interested in this content. Grace J. Meo Co-Director of the National Consortium on Universal Design for Learning mailto:gmeo@cast.org http://www.cast.org _______________________________________________ adtech-ps mailing list adtech-ps@lists.oregonstate.edu http://lists.oregonstate.edu/mailman/listinfo/adtech-ps To unsubscribe, send a message to: adtech-ps-request@lists.oregonstate.edu with the word "unsubscribe" in the body. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu Thu Feb 24 16:47:06 2005 From: ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu (Stewart, Ron) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:57 2018 Subject: [athen] FW: [DSSHE-L] How many blind objections to PDFs are based on... Message-ID: <2B8B2BD3A0D58F41B0F28F215AF4901D01CB6E26@mtadams.nws.oregonstate.edu> This is germane out discussion on e-text Ron -----Original Message----- From: Disabled Student Services in Higher Education [mailto:DSSHE-L@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU] On Behalf Of Marks, Jim Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2005 4:03 PM To: DSSHE-L@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU Subject: Re: [DSSHE-L] How many blind objections to PDFs are based on... I'm glad Carol pointed out that PDF files are a problem for people with learning disabilities. My office has been discussing whether there is a difference in e-text for students with learning disabilities and for those who are blind or visually impaired. One staff member, a person with a learning disability that impacts her ability to read print effectively, said that e-text designed for blind users works very well for people with learning disabilities as well. Yes, many people with learning disabilities prefer to see the print versions of their textbooks, especially the visual features of print such as graphics, photos, etc. However, this can be easily accomplished by reading the print book along with the e-text. We don't really have to get fancy with the technology by creating e-text with all the visual features built in. If we build e-text that works for blind users, then it is universally accessible. This is very important to consider since the numbers of college students with learning disabilities hover around 2 to 4 percent of students with disabilities while the blind and visually impaired comprise about one half of one percent of students with disabilities. In addition, many of the people who are designing e-text are not users of e-text. They bring lots of talent to the process, but they also bring in paradigms biased to visual access to print. If e-text somehow splits into two camps, one for visual access and one for non-visual, it could damage accessibility for all people with print disabilities. There's no problem finding something that works according to the needs and abilities of a particular individual, but we should take care not to create an industry standard that won't work for everyone. For example, my office sometimes does create PDF files, the inaccessible type, that we give students to use with WYNN or Kurzweil 3000. WYNN and Kurzweil easily convert the PDF files, and students can sometimes use the exact view features of these programs to see an image of the book while the program reads what it thinks the image is saying. We do not build accessible PDF documents, although some colleges and universities do this routinely. We don't because other file formats work so much better for everyone. Much depends on how the end user reads the e-text. Point here is that PDF works for some, but not all. And, again, please ask for XML version of e-text from publishers. XML affords the highest degree of universal accessibility, and it's the standard for K-12 education. Makes sense that higher education would do the same. Jim Marks Director of Disability Services University of Montana-Missoula jim.marks@umontana.edu http://www.umt.edu/dss -----Original Message----- From: CManchester [mailto:cmanchester@HOWARDCC.EDU] Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2005 3:47 PM To: DSSHE-L@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU Subject: Re: How many blind objections to PDFs are based on... It's a problem for LD users also. Carol Manchester This list is intended to serve as a forum for professionals involved in the delivery of services to students with disabilities in higher education. Any commercial posts or posts that are deemed by the listowner to be inappropriate for the list will result in the poster being removed from the list. To sign off the list, send a message to * listserv@listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu * with the message * signoff dsshe-l To search the archives, go to http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/archives/dsshe-l.html Questions? Contact Listowner Dan Ryan at dryan@buffalo.edu From pratikp1 at lycos.com Fri Feb 25 02:06:15 2005 From: pratikp1 at lycos.com (Pratik Patel) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:57 2018 Subject: [athen] FW: [uvip] Solaris 10 released, with accessibility built-in! Also FreeTTS 1.2 released. Message-ID: <3sp35g$5tlh1@smtp04.mrf.mail.rcn.net> Colleagues, If you have not come across this announcement, please read the following to learn about Sun Micro System's latest OS release with stable, built-in accessibility features including Gnopernicus and the on-screen keyboard. Not all of the document links located in the article lead to web pages at this, though I suspect that may have something to do with a temporary problem. I've e-mailed Peter Corn with the problem and I would hope that the problem is resolved by the time you read this article. Pratik Pratik Patel Interim Director Office of Special Services Queens College Director CUNY Assistive Technology Services The City University of New York ppatel@qc.edu _____ From: Peter Korn [mailto:peter.korn@Sun.COM] Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2005 6:32 PM To: JA-PR@basso.sfbay.sun.com Subject: [uvip] Solaris 10 released, with accessibility built-in! Also FreeTTS 1.2 released. The Sun Accessibility team is utterly delighted to announce: - Solaris 10, with a rich set of accessibility features and included assistive technologies, is now shipping and available for immediate web download for both SPARC and x86/x64 architectures. Solaris is the premier UNIX operating system from Sun Microsystems, favored by customers for mission critical environments. Among the many new features in Solaris 10 release is the GNOME graphical desktop with accessibility support built-in. Solaris 10 accessibility features include: complete mouseless access to the desktop; theming support with high contrast and large print themes; a collection of keyboard accessibility features including StickyKeys, MouseKeys, BounceKeys, SlowKeys, and ToggleKeys; a full-featured screen reader and screen magnifier with Braille access; a powerful dynamic on-screen keyboard with many features no other on-screen keyboard can provide. With Solaris 10, accessibility support can be configured for use even at the login screen, so users with disabilities can have their theme or assistive technology working before they log into the system! Solaris 10 also includes a rich collection of web and productivity applications such as Mozilla for web browsing, Evolution for e-mail and enterprise calendaring, and the StarOffice suite for word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation authoring - all of which fully support the GNOME accessibility architecture and included assistive technologies. - FreeTTS 1.2, the free, open source text-to-speech engine written in the Java programming language is now available. FreeTTS partially supports the Java Speech API, and can be used and redistributed in Java and web-based applications. FreeTTS ships with Solaris 10 and is used by the screen reader that comes with Solaris 10. The Solaris 10 Operating System ------------------------------- Solaris is Sun's "enterprise-grade" UNIX operating system. It runs on the SPARC line of 64-bit processors as well as x86 (and the new 64-bit editions of x86, known as "x64") processors. Used both as a server operating system and for workstations, Solaris powers a large portion of the businesses on the Internet, and serves as the backbone of many companies' Information Technology systems. Solaris is an extremely scalable operating systems, capable of running systems with one microprocessor to systems with over 100 microprocessors. Solaris 10 includes a host of new features, most of which aren't available in any other operating system. The new features include: DTrace - a comprehensive dynamic tracing framework for troubleshooting systemic problems in real time; Solaris Containers which allows you to turn one computer into multiple virtual computers; ZFS - the zettabyte file system which is a next generation self-healing, self-managing 128-bit file system; and dramatically increased network performance. In addition to the powerful, base operating system features noted above, Solaris 10 includes a rich graphical desktop with a large collection of productivity applications. Solaris 10 includes the Java Desktop System - a graphical desktop based on the open source GNOME environment - with a number of key additions from Sun. The Solaris 10 desktop includes StarOffice 7, a powerful productivity suite with a word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation package that can read and write Microsoft file formats. Also included with Solaris 10 is the Mozilla web browser, and the Evolution e-mail and enterprise calendaring application. With this release, Solaris is now also a very accessible operating system! The Java Desktop System release 3 - the recommended graphical desktop that is part of Solaris 10 - provides a tremendous amount of support for users with disabilities. Accessibility support in Solaris 10 includes: - complete keyboard operability of all supported applications and functions on the desktop. This of course includes the productivity applications in Solaris 10 like StarOffice and Mozilla and Evolution, and of course all of the Java applications. This means that people with a range of mild physical impairments can operate Solaris 10. - the collection of keyboard enhancements pioneered by the TRACE Center - StickyKeys, MouseKeys, BounceKeys, etc. This functionality allows people with a variety of mild to medium physical impairments to operate Solaris 10 (e.g. hand tremors from Parkinson's disease). - a themable desktop with support for a range of desktop themes. These include for accessibility: High Contrast, High Contrast Inverse, and Large Print themes. And of course the supported graphical applications in the Java Desktop System respect these themes (including Staroffice, Mozilla, Evolution, and all of the Java applications). This allows people with a range of mild vision impairments to operate Solaris 10. - a full-featured, commercial quality screen reader and screen magnifier. Unlike the very limited screen reader and screen magnifier shipping on other desktops, the one in Solaris 10 works with all of the supported graphical applications in the Java Desktop System - you can use them to browse the web and edit documents and spreadsheets and presentations and read your e-mail and track your calendar. Solaris 10 is also the first graphical desktop to interoperate with Braille displays, out of the box! This allows people who are legally blind - or completely blind - or even deaf-blind! - to operate Solaris 10. - an industry leading on-screen keyboard which reaches inside running applications and dynamically builds "keyboards" to rapidly interact with every supported graphical applications in the Java Desktop System. This functionality goes far beyond anything available on other graphical desktops - either bundled with or purchased commercially - and offers *dramatic* speed improvements to people with significant physical disabilities. The on-screen keyboard in Solaris 10 monitors what you are doing with applications, and offers immediate access to things like the menu system, toolbars, hyperlinks, and the controls in dialog boxes. Of course it also includes a range of optimized alphanumeric keyboards with word completion. The Solaris 10 on-screen keyboard can be driven by a wide array of access methods (including automatic scanning with switch selection, dwell selection with a head pointer, and of course direct selection). This allows people with a range of severe physical impairments (including quadriplegia, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, and ALS) to operate Solaris 10! The accessibility features of Solaris 10 can be used not just only at the graphical desktop - but from the moment the user begins to log into the system! Once configured for accessible login, a Solaris 10 system will invoke the screen reader or magnifier, or on-screen keyboard with a simple gesture from the user - even before they have authenticated themselves. Users can also have a Large Print login screen if they desire it, or choose any other included accessibility theme. Of course the accessible login screen is also fully keyboard operable, and the TRACE suite of keyboard enhancements can be enabled there as well. Sun is making Solaris 10 source code available under the Common Development and Distribution License, an open source license recognized by the Open Source Initiative. In addition, all of the accessibility work developed by Sun for Solaris 10 has been contributed back to the GNOME, OpenOffice.org, Mozilla, Evolution, and X communities under their respective open source licenses. You can download Solaris 10 for SPARC or x86/x64 processors at: http://www.sun.com/software/solaris/get.jsp View the Solaris 10 Accessibility Guide at: http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/doc/817-7307 View a more lengthy description of the Solaris 10 accessibility features, complete with links to pictures of much of the accessibility functionality, at: http://blogs.sun.com/korn/20050209#solaris_10_another_first_for FreeTTS 1.2 ----------- FreeTTS is the free, open source text-to-speech engine written in the Java programming language. FreeTTS is based upon Flite, a small, fast, run-time speech synthesis engine, which in turn is based upon University of Edinburgh's Festival Speech Synthesis System and Carnegie Mellon University's FestVox project. The FreeTTS package includes two English languages voices, a limited domain English language voice, support for importing a variety of other voices developed elsewhere. FreeTTS supports the MBROLA family of voices (developed under a European Union initiative and free for non-commercial and non-military use), and also the new ARCTIC high-quality unit selection voices. FreeTTS partially implements the Java Speech API, and can be used with gnome-speech and the Gnopernicus screen reader/magnifier in Solaris and GNU/Linux. On behalf of the Sun Microsystems, Peter Korn Sun Microsystems, Inc. http://www.sun.com/access * Usability is efficiency, ease of use and accuracy. * Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ADVERTISEMENT click here _____ Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/uvip/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: uvip-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service . -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu Fri Feb 25 05:06:50 2005 From: ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu (Stewart, Ron) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:58 2018 Subject: [athen] FW: [uvip] Solaris 10 released, with accessibility built-in! Also FreeTTS 1.2 released. Message-ID: <2B8B2BD3A0D58F41B0F28F215AF4901D01138B3D@mtadams.nws.oregonstate.edu> Good morning, Just for further information we have also had great difficulty in downloading a complete build for this long waited upgrade to the Solaris operating system. If you are a campus with Solaris systems, and most research universities are, I would recommend ordering a set of CD's from Sun. Ron Stewart ________________________________ From: athen-bounces@lists.oregonstate.edu on behalf of Pratik Patel Sent: Fri 2/25/2005 2:06 AM To: adtech-ps@lists.oregonstate.edu; athen@lists.oregonstate.edu Subject: [athen] FW: [uvip] Solaris 10 released,with accessibility built-in! Also FreeTTS 1.2 released. Colleagues, If you have not come across this announcement, please read the following to learn about Sun Micro System's latest OS release with stable, built-in accessibility features including Gnopernicus and the on-screen keyboard. Not all of the document links located in the article lead to web pages at this, though I suspect that may have something to do with a temporary problem. I've e-mailed Peter Corn with the problem and I would hope that the problem is resolved by the time you read this article. Pratik Pratik Patel Interim Director Office of Special Services Queens College Director CUNY Assistive Technology Services The City University of New York ppatel@qc.edu ________________________________ From: Peter Korn [mailto:peter.korn@Sun.COM] Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2005 6:32 PM To: JA-PR@basso.sfbay.sun.com Subject: [uvip] Solaris 10 released, with accessibility built-in! Also FreeTTS 1.2 released. The Sun Accessibility team is utterly delighted to announce: - Solaris 10, with a rich set of accessibility features and included assistive technologies, is now shipping and available for immediate web download for both SPARC and x86/x64 architectures. Solaris is the premier UNIX operating system from Sun Microsystems, favored by customers for mission critical environments. Among the many new features in Solaris 10 release is the GNOME graphical desktop with accessibility support built-in. Solaris 10 accessibility features include: complete mouseless access to the desktop; theming support with high contrast and large print themes; a collection of keyboard accessibility features including StickyKeys, MouseKeys, BounceKeys, SlowKeys, and ToggleKeys; a full-featured screen reader and screen magnifier with Braille access; a powerful dynamic on-screen keyboard with many features no other on-screen keyboard can provide. With Solaris 10, accessibility support can be configured for use even at the login screen, so users with disabilities can have their theme or assistive technology working before they log into the system! Solaris 10 also includes a rich collection of web and productivity applications such as Mozilla for web browsing, Evolution for e-mail and enterprise calendaring, and the StarOffice suite for word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation authoring - all of which fully support the GNOME accessibility architecture and included assistive technologies. - FreeTTS 1.2, the free, open source text-to-speech engine written in the Java programming language is now available. FreeTTS partially supports the Java Speech API, and can be used and redistributed in Java and web-based applications. FreeTTS ships with Solaris 10 and is used by the screen reader that comes with Solaris 10. The Solaris 10 Operating System ------------------------------- Solaris is Sun's "enterprise-grade" UNIX operating system. It runs on the SPARC line of 64-bit processors as well as x86 (and the new 64-bit editions of x86, known as "x64") processors. Used both as a server operating system and for workstations, Solaris powers a large portion of the businesses on the Internet, and serves as the backbone of many companies' Information Technology systems. Solaris is an extremely scalable operating systems, capable of running systems with one microprocessor to systems with over 100 microprocessors. Solaris 10 includes a host of new features, most of which aren't available in any other operating system. The new features include: DTrace - a comprehensive dynamic tracing framework for troubleshooting systemic problems in real time; Solaris Containers which allows you to turn one computer into multiple virtual computers; ZFS - the zettabyte file system which is a next generation self-healing, self-managing 128-bit file system; and dramatically increased network performance. In addition to the powerful, base operating system features noted above, Solaris 10 includes a rich graphical desktop with a large collection of productivity applications. Solaris 10 includes the Java Desktop System - a graphical desktop based on the open source GNOME environment - with a number of key additions from Sun. The Solaris 10 desktop includes StarOffice 7, a powerful productivity suite with a word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation package that can read and write Microsoft file formats. Also included with Solaris 10 is the Mozilla web browser, and the Evolution e-mail and enterprise calendaring application. With this release, Solaris is now also a very accessible operating system! The Java Desktop System release 3 - the recommended graphical desktop that is part of Solaris 10 - provides a tremendous amount of support for users with disabilities. Accessibility support in Solaris 10 includes: - complete keyboard operability of all supported applications and functions on the desktop. This of course includes the productivity applications in Solaris 10 like StarOffice and Mozilla and Evolution, and of course all of the Java applications. This means that people with a range of mild physical impairments can operate Solaris 10. - the collection of keyboard enhancements pioneered by the TRACE Center - StickyKeys, MouseKeys, BounceKeys, etc. This functionality allows people with a variety of mild to medium physical impairments to operate Solaris 10 (e.g. hand tremors from Parkinson's disease). - a themable desktop with support for a range of desktop themes. These include for accessibility: High Contrast, High Contrast Inverse, and Large Print themes. And of course the supported graphical applications in the Java Desktop System respect these themes (including Staroffice, Mozilla, Evolution, and all of the Java applications). This allows people with a range of mild vision impairments to operate Solaris 10. - a full-featured, commercial quality screen reader and screen magnifier. Unlike the very limited screen reader and screen magnifier shipping on other desktops, the one in Solaris 10 works with all of the supported graphical applications in the Java Desktop System - you can use them to browse the web and edit documents and spreadsheets and presentations and read your e-mail and track your calendar. Solaris 10 is also the first graphical desktop to interoperate with Braille displays, out of the box! This allows people who are legally blind - or completely blind - or even deaf-blind! - to operate Solaris 10. - an industry leading on-screen keyboard which reaches inside running applications and dynamically builds "keyboards" to rapidly interact with every supported graphical applications in the Java Desktop System. This functionality goes far beyond anything available on other graphical desktops - either bundled with or purchased commercially - and offers *dramatic* speed improvements to people with significant physical disabilities. The on-screen keyboard in Solaris 10 monitors what you are doing with applications, and offers immediate access to things like the menu system, toolbars, hyperlinks, and the controls in dialog boxes. Of course it also includes a range of optimized alphanumeric keyboards with word completion. The Solaris 10 on-screen keyboard can be driven by a wide array of access methods (including automatic scanning with switch selection, dwell selection with a head pointer, and of course direct selection). This allows people with a range of severe physical impairments (including quadriplegia, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, and ALS) to operate Solaris 10! The accessibility features of Solaris 10 can be used not just only at the graphical desktop - but from the moment the user begins to log into the system! Once configured for accessible login, a Solaris 10 system will invoke the screen reader or magnifier, or on-screen keyboard with a simple gesture from the user - even before they have authenticated themselves. Users can also have a Large Print login screen if they desire it, or choose any other included accessibility theme. Of course the accessible login screen is also fully keyboard operable, and the TRACE suite of keyboard enhancements can be enabled there as well. Sun is making Solaris 10 source code available under the Common Development and Distribution License, an open source license recognized by the Open Source Initiative. In addition, all of the accessibility work developed by Sun for Solaris 10 has been contributed back to the GNOME, OpenOffice.org, Mozilla, Evolution, and X communities under their respective open source licenses. You can download Solaris 10 for SPARC or x86/x64 processors at: http://www.sun.com/software/solaris/get.jsp View the Solaris 10 Accessibility Guide at: http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/doc/817-7307 View a more lengthy description of the Solaris 10 accessibility features, complete with links to pictures of much of the accessibility functionality, at: http://blogs.sun.com/korn/20050209#solaris_10_another_first_for FreeTTS 1.2 ----------- FreeTTS is the free, open source text-to-speech engine written in the Java programming language. FreeTTS is based upon Flite, a small, fast, run-time speech synthesis engine, which in turn is based upon University of Edinburgh's Festival Speech Synthesis System and Carnegie Mellon University's FestVox project. The FreeTTS package includes two English languages voices, a limited domain English language voice, support for importing a variety of other voices developed elsewhere. FreeTTS supports the MBROLA family of voices (developed under a European Union initiative and free for non-commercial and non-military use), and also the new ARCTIC high-quality unit selection voices. FreeTTS partially implements the Java Speech API, and can be used with gnome-speech and the Gnopernicus screen reader/magnifier in Solaris and GNU/Linux. On behalf of the Sun Microsystems, Peter Korn Sun Microsystems, Inc. http://www.sun.com/access * Usability is efficiency, ease of use and accuracy. * Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ADVERTISEMENT click here ________________________________ Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/uvip/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: uvip-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service . -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu Fri Feb 25 07:47:34 2005 From: ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu (Stewart, Ron) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:58 2018 Subject: [athen] RE: more e-text discussion Message-ID: <2B8B2BD3A0D58F41B0F28F215AF4901D01138B3E@mtadams.nws.oregonstate.edu> Robert, Hope you don't mind but I would like to share your email and my response with the group. I would not be surprised at all, we all deal with a lot of ignorance, and maybe it is just me but ignorance seems to be an epidemic these days. I have had very similar discussions when doing sessions on e-text production, and in working with uniformed DS folks in explaining why this transition is necessary. People want to focus the entire conversation on why an MP3 file, or any audio file is good enough to meet the needs of the majority of individuals with print disabilities. That is the same misguided thinking that says audio tapes are good enough and we do not need to consider moving to a digital medium. It also reflects the same ignorance that says a dump of a scanned book to a cdrom, without editing is access. When we focus on the technology instead of on the purpose for using the technology we do a disservice to our clients and to our emerging profession. The position typically is that their clients were all happy, that it is inexpensive to produce and very portable. Things that I would agree with on the surface, but in actuality are totally unrelated to the purpose for providing the access in the first place, and that is to access the curriculum. If they students choose to ignore their other options and just use a audio file for access then that is their choice, a poor one in my opinion, but that does not relieve us of our responsibility to show them the potentials. Also when I hear that users are satisfied with a limited solution, first my blood pressure goes way up, then I have to ask what other options are provided to the clients so that they really can see what the possibilities are and which ones meet their individual needs. This is the same kind of thinking error that we encounter from administrators who say we do not have a problem because no one is complaining. However the question really should be, if we are acting as professionals in the field of access technologies; how can we provide equitable access to the curriculum for our users that truly gives them a level playing field? As has often been stated this can not be done with an MP3 file, it is not indexed and does not allow for efficient use of the material, i.e. the ability to navigate it. We can not separate the technology or delivery mechanism from the teaching and learning process. The most successful students are those that know how to best access the required information to complete a required learning activity. With a text book that is done by drilling down into the material to the exact material required, and this can only be done with an ability to scan the material an almost impossible task with a typical audio file. Listening to John Grisham on a audio book is a worthwhile leisure activity. Finding a specific set of cause and effect relationships is a learning activity which requires a specific set of tools and skills. Now for your question: XML is a meta-data based information structuring system, not really just a data delivery mechanism. It allows for the delivery of information into whatever format is desired as long as the appropriate data structure is contained in the underlying database, and the retrieval tool supports the data structure. For example, if I had the entire electronic textbook in my XML based book repository I could query the system for the book, and have it provided as an MP3 file or as a structured e-text file so that it could be brailed. Ron Stewart ________________________________ From: Robert Lee Beach [mailto:rbeach@toto.net] Sent: Fri 2/25/2005 6:14 AM To: Stewart, Ron Subject: Re: [adtech-ps] FW: [DSSHE-L] How many blind objections to PDFs arebased on... I really like that this person pointed out one fact. Many of the people producing e-text are not users themselves. You'd be surprised how many people I've argued with regarding the importance of indexing audio text. They think they can just begin recording, turn the tape over when they ge to the end, and keep going. Or, if producing on CD, they don't see the need for marking the beging of pages with even the page numbers, much less marking them so that each page is a separate track. I did get one person to admit that producing whole chapters wasn't really the best for the student, so they break the tracks into 5 or 10 minute segments. How helpful is that? You then have to provide an index to show what pages are included in each segment or the user still cannot find what they're looking for without going through the whole CD. Now, I have a question. I know XML can be displayed through a browser, but how effective is it for production into, say, audio CD, MP3, or braille? Thanks. I know this is going to sound a bit At 04:47 PM 2/24/2005 -0800, you wrote: >This is germane out discussion on e-text > >Ron > >-----Original Message----- >From: Disabled Student Services in Higher Education >[mailto:DSSHE-L@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU] On Behalf Of Marks, Jim >Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2005 4:03 PM >To: DSSHE-L@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU >Subject: Re: [DSSHE-L] How many blind objections to PDFs are based on... > >I'm glad Carol pointed out that PDF files are a problem for people with >learning disabilities. My office has been discussing whether there is a >difference in e-text for students with learning disabilities and for >those who are blind or visually impaired. One staff member, a person >with a learning disability that impacts her ability to read print >effectively, said that e-text designed for blind users works very well >for people with learning disabilities as well. Yes, many people with >learning disabilities prefer to see the print versions of their >textbooks, especially the visual features of print such as graphics, >photos, etc. However, this can be easily accomplished by reading the >print book along with the e-text. We don't really have to get fancy >with the technology by creating e-text with all the visual features >built in. If we build e-text that works for blind users, then it is >universally accessible. This is very important to consider since the >numbers of college students with learning disabilities hover around 2 to >4 percent of students with disabilities while the blind and visually >impaired comprise about one half of one percent of students with >disabilities. In addition, many of the people who are designing e-text >are not users of e-text. They bring lots of talent to the process, but >they also bring in paradigms biased to visual access to print. If >e-text somehow splits into two camps, one for visual access and one for >non-visual, it could damage accessibility for all people with print >disabilities. There's no problem finding something that works according >to the needs and abilities of a particular individual, but we should >take care not to create an industry standard that won't work for >everyone. For example, my office sometimes does create PDF files, the >inaccessible type, that we give students to use with WYNN or Kurzweil >3000. WYNN and Kurzweil easily convert the PDF files, and students can >sometimes use the exact view features of these programs to see an image >of the book while the program reads what it thinks the image is saying. >We do not build accessible PDF documents, although some colleges and >universities do this routinely. We don't because other file formats >work so much better for everyone. Much depends on how the end user >reads the e-text. Point here is that PDF works for some, but not all. >And, again, please ask for XML version of e-text from publishers. XML >affords the highest degree of universal accessibility, and it's the >standard for K-12 education. Makes sense that higher education would do >the same. > > >Jim Marks >Director of Disability Services >University of Montana-Missoula >jim.marks@umontana.edu >http://www.umt.edu/dss > > > >-----Original Message----- >From: CManchester [mailto:cmanchester@HOWARDCC.EDU] >Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2005 3:47 PM >To: DSSHE-L@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU >Subject: Re: How many blind objections to PDFs are based on... > > >It's a problem for LD users also. > >Carol Manchester > >This list is intended to serve as a forum for professionals involved in >the delivery of services to students with disabilities in higher >education. Any commercial posts or posts that are deemed by the >listowner to be inappropriate for the list will result in the poster >being removed from the list. > >To sign off the list, send a message to >* listserv@listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu >* with the message >* signoff dsshe-l >To search the archives, go to >http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/archives/dsshe-l.html >Questions? Contact Listowner Dan Ryan at dryan@buffalo.edu >_______________________________________________ >adtech-ps mailing list >adtech-ps@lists.oregonstate.edu >http://lists.oregonstate.edu/mailman/listinfo/adtech-ps > >To unsubscribe, send a message to: >adtech-ps-request@lists.oregonstate.edu >with the word "unsubscribe" in the body. > > Robert Lee Beach, Assistive Technology Specialist Kansas City Kansas Community College 7250 State Avenue Kansas City, KS 66112 Phone: (913) 288-7671 Fax: (913) 288-7678 http://www.kckcc.edu/faculty/beach/ E-Mail: rbeach@toto.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From djbrky at bu.edu Fri Feb 25 08:07:14 2005 From: djbrky at bu.edu (Berkowitz, Daniel J) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:58 2018 Subject: [athen] RE: [adtech-ps] FW: [DSSHE-L] How many blind objections to PDFs arebased on... Message-ID: <8E929D499290744FA1BAFB2A63F3128B01F69716@XMS.ad2.bu.edu> Sometimes we get so caught up in the technology that we forget its original intent. In the case of eText usage by LD students, the change over to electronic text is primarily so that we can make use of new technologies such as TTS programs and MP3 conversions. Simply to provide a better avenue towards providing the student with an audible version of the textbook that is faster to create than traditional audio taping. LD student will still have access to - and I expect them to use - their textbooks. The whole purpose of audio versions of their textbooks is that it allows them a multisensory approach to the material which will enhance their comprehension and alleviate the impact their diagnosed disability has on their ability to access their course materials efficiently. Audio or eText for LD students is not supposed to replace the textbook - it is supposed to enhance the student's ability to access the material. In many cases we have to remind and teach/re-teach our students why they are getting this accommodation and how they are supposed to be using it. An eye opener for me were two students I had years ago who shunned RFB&D tapes and wanted them recorded in-house. Student #1 made the case that RFB&D tapes recorded everything - every detail, picture caption, footnote, chart, etc. and she did not need all of this. Her LD impacted her ability to read large blocks of text and all of the extraneous stuff was distracting and time consuming. Especially the science and biology books she had to read. This was a fair and understandable request. Student #2 did not like the RFB&D books because of the 4-track recording. She told me straight out that she wanted to listen to the books on her car stereo while commuting. When I explained to her how she was supposed to make us of her books on tape - she balked and told me she never bought the textbooks. This request was rejected. We also have to recognize that LD is an umbrella term and it covers many different types of cognitive learning issues. Many of us are not only responsible for providing the alt-format materials, but are also responsible for determining the validity of the request and specifically to what extend the student will receive the accommodation. I have had students who insisted upon getting books on tape because of their LD only to find out that for their K-12 years they had been getting this service and not needed it because their diagnosed condition did not warrant it. Then we find ourselves in the position of weaning these students off their learned helplessness. In the eText production process for LD students, I instruct my editors to remove all pictures, charts, graphs, etc. because the student will have the textbook and be reading along. This is especially so when the books are to be converted into MP3. I do have them replace pictures with text informing the reader that a picture, etc. has been removed and to refer to the text and page number. However, flexibility is the most beautiful things about eText. Nothing gets erased and raw scans that have graphics can be edited in a different format as necessary. I can take one book and produce it in multiple formats for different end-users specific needs. And if I may remind the list of my comments yesterday - among us we may know the difference between WYNN and K3000, what XML is, how these processes work and their function and we may even have staff dedicated to doing all of this stuff. Keep in mind that outside of this list and even outside of the DSSHE list or others is a vast number of our fellow professionals who know none of this and/or do not have the resources to pursue it. Let us not get so technical in our thinking that we forget them. ---Dann ================================== Daniel J. Berkowitz Assistant Director Boston University Office of Disability Services 19 Deerfield Street, 2nd floor Boston, MA 02215 617-353-3658 (voice) 617-353-9646 (fax) 617-947-4666 (mobile) djbrky@bu.edu (eMail) buodsdann (aim) http://www.bu.edu/disability ________________________________ From: adtech-ps-bounces@lists.oregonstate.edu on behalf of Stewart, Ron Sent: Thu 2/24/2005 7:47 PM To: adtech-ps@lists.oregonstate.edu; athen@lists.oregonstate.edu Subject: [adtech-ps] FW: [DSSHE-L] How many blind objections to PDFs arebased on... This is germane out discussion on e-text Ron -----Original Message----- From: Disabled Student Services in Higher Education [mailto:DSSHE-L@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU] On Behalf Of Marks, Jim Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2005 4:03 PM To: DSSHE-L@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU Subject: Re: [DSSHE-L] How many blind objections to PDFs are based on... I'm glad Carol pointed out that PDF files are a problem for people with learning disabilities. My office has been discussing whether there is a difference in e-text for students with learning disabilities and for those who are blind or visually impaired. One staff member, a person with a learning disability that impacts her ability to read print effectively, said that e-text designed for blind users works very well for people with learning disabilities as well. Yes, many people with learning disabilities prefer to see the print versions of their textbooks, especially the visual features of print such as graphics, photos, etc. However, this can be easily accomplished by reading the print book along with the e-text. We don't really have to get fancy with the technology by creating e-text with all the visual features built in. If we build e-text that works for blind users, then it is universally accessible. This is very important to consider since the numbers of college students with learning disabilities hover around 2 to 4 percent of students with disabilities while the blind and visually impaired comprise about one half of one percent of students with disabilities. In addition, many of the people who are designing e-text are not users of e-text. They bring lots of talent to the process, but they also bring in paradigms biased to visual access to print. If e-text somehow splits into two camps, one for visual access and one for non-visual, it could damage accessibility for all people with print disabilities. There's no problem finding something that works according to the needs and abilities of a particular individual, but we should take care not to create an industry standard that won't work for everyone. For example, my office sometimes does create PDF files, the inaccessible type, that we give students to use with WYNN or Kurzweil 3000. WYNN and Kurzweil easily convert the PDF files, and students can sometimes use the exact view features of these programs to see an image of the book while the program reads what it thinks the image is saying. We do not build accessible PDF documents, although some colleges and universities do this routinely. We don't because other file formats work so much better for everyone. Much depends on how the end user reads the e-text. Point here is that PDF works for some, but not all. And, again, please ask for XML version of e-text from publishers. XML affords the highest degree of universal accessibility, and it's the standard for K-12 education. Makes sense that higher education would do the same. Jim Marks Director of Disability Services University of Montana-Missoula jim.marks@umontana.edu http://www.umt.edu/dss From ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu Fri Feb 25 08:22:25 2005 From: ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu (Stewart, Ron) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:58 2018 Subject: [athen] Bounding email Message-ID: <2B8B2BD3A0D58F41B0F28F215AF4901D01138B40@mtadams.nws.oregonstate.edu> Good morning, Folks once again we are starting to see a lot of "bounced" email on the various lists that I manage for our communities of service providers. All of the lists that I manage are closed lists, and this requires that you be sending emails to the list from the email address that was subscribe to the list. Bounces are typically caused by a change in email address at your end of the pipe. You can make changes and corrections to your lists memberships at: http://lists.oregonstate.edu and following the provided instructions. I have set all the lists up at this point to remove you from the list after your account bounces email for seven days. You will also receive bounce notices, but this will not do you any good if you have not made the necessary changes to your subscription to the list so that you actually receive these messages. The most common cause of this problem is that your email administrators have changed the way in which your campus email addresses are structured. For example: joe.schmo@mail.anyschool.edu becomes joe.schmo@anyschool.edu This will cause any new emails sent to the list to be rejected and emails from the list to "bounce" back. Hopefully your system administrators will let you know before this happens, but don't plan on it. The solution to the problem is to manage your list memberships as necessary, or to let me know when a change is going to occur and out of the kindness of my heart I will fix the potential problem for you. I would also ask that you remember that these list and my time are offered as service to the field, so Be Nice if problems do occur. I do not respond well to folks who forgot the lessons they learned in Kindergarten. Ron Stewart -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu Fri Feb 25 08:58:13 2005 From: ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu (Stewart, Ron) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:58 2018 Subject: [athen] RE: [adtech-ps] RE: more e-text discussion Message-ID: <2B8B2BD3A0D58F41B0F28F215AF4901D01138B47@mtadams.nws.oregonstate.edu> Yes, but we need to make sure that this simple and basic step of editing occurs which in most instances that I have encountered does not. Hopefully the E-Text best practices group that I am coordinating for AHEAD will in the next year or so help to greatly educate the masses. Ron ________________________________ From: adtech-ps-bounces@lists.oregonstate.edu on behalf of Richard Jones Sent: Fri 2/25/2005 8:30 AM Cc: adtech-ps@lists.oregonstate.edu; athen@lists.oregonstate.edu Subject: RE: [adtech-ps] RE: more e-text discussion Dear Ron Stewart and Adtech-ps, I completely agree with you that a structured audio file, i.e. DAISY, based on XML, is an appropriate accommodation for students with disabilities. BTW, Daisy is recorded with MP3 data compression. I would like to add that you can obtain a minimal form of navigation with MP3 files if they are created properly. If the text is being read into an MP3 recorder and the reader records each page as a separate track, you will be able to distinguish pages. That is the only general navigational technique that I am aware of for a standard MP3 file. This is still not as accessible as a four track tape, with beeps. Still it is something and may be useful for some students. I have used this with students who want a CD/MP3 based accommodation. Richard Jones Assistant Director Disability Resource Center Arizona State University CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail message is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you believe you have received this e-mail in error please notify the sender. -----Original Message----- From: adtech-ps-bounces@lists.oregonstate.edu [mailto:adtech-ps-bounces@lists.oregonstate.edu]On Behalf Of Stewart, Ron Sent: Friday, February 25, 2005 8:48 AM To: Robert Lee Beach Cc: adtech-ps@lists.oregonstate.edu; athen@lists.oregonstate.edu Subject: [adtech-ps] RE: more e-text discussion Robert, Hope you don't mind but I would like to share your email and my response with the group. I would not be surprised at all, we all deal with a lot of ignorance, and maybe it is just me but ignorance seems to be an epidemic these days. I have had very similar discussions when doing sessions on e-text production, and in working with uniformed DS folks in explaining why this transition is necessary. People want to focus the entire conversation on why an MP3 file, or any audio file is good enough to meet the needs of the majority of individuals with print disabilities. That is the same misguided thinking that says audio tapes are good enough and we do not need to consider moving to a digital medium. It also reflects the same ignorance that says a dump of a scanned book to a cdrom, without editing is access. When we focus on the technology instead of on the purpose for using the technology we do a disservice to our clients and to our emerging profession. The position typically is that their clients were all happy, that it is inexpensive to produce and very portable. Things that I would agree with on the surface, but in actuality are totally unrelated to the purpose for providing the access in the first place, and that is to access the curriculum. If they students choose to ignore their other options and just use a audio file for access then that is their choice, a poor one in my opinion, but that does not relieve us of our responsibility to show them the potentials. Also when I hear that users are satisfied with a limited solution, first my blood pressure goes way up, then I have to ask what other options are provided to the clients so that they really can see what the possibilities are and which ones meet their individual needs. This is the same kind of thinking error that we encounter from administrators who say we do not have a problem because no one is complaining. However the question really should be, if we are acting as professionals in the field of access technologies; how can we provide equitable access to the curriculum for our users that truly gives them a level playing field? As has often been stated this can not be done with an MP3 file, it is not indexed and does not allow for efficient use of the material, i.e. the ability to navigate it. We can not separate the technology or delivery mechanism from the teaching and learning process. The most successful students are those that know how to best access the required information to complete a required learning activity. With a text book that is done by drilling down into the material to the exact material required, and this can only be done with an ability to scan the material an almost impossible task with a typical audio file. Listening to John Grisham on a audio book is a worthwhile leisure activity. Finding a specific set of cause and effect relationships is a learning activity which requires a specific set of tools and skills. Now for your question: XML is a meta-data based information structuring system, not really just a data delivery mechanism. It allows for the delivery of information into whatever format is desired as long as the appropriate data structure is contained in the underlying database, and the retrieval tool supports the data structure. For example, if I had the entire electronic textbook in my XML based book repository I could query the system for the book, and have it provided as an MP3 file or as a structured e-text file so that it could be brailed. Ron Stewart ________________________________ From: Robert Lee Beach [mailto:rbeach@toto.net] Sent: Fri 2/25/2005 6:14 AM To: Stewart, Ron Subject: Re: [adtech-ps] FW: [DSSHE-L] How many blind objections to PDFs arebased on... I really like that this person pointed out one fact. Many of the people producing e-text are not users themselves. You'd be surprised how many people I've argued with regarding the importance of indexing audio text. They think they can just begin recording, turn the tape over when they ge to the end, and keep going. Or, if producing on CD, they don't see the need for marking the beging of pages with even the page numbers, much less marking them so that each page is a separate track. I did get one person to admit that producing whole chapters wasn't really the best for the student, so they break the tracks into 5 or 10 minute segments. How helpful is that? You then have to provide an index to show what pages are included in each segment or the user still cannot find what they're looking for without going through the whole CD. Now, I have a question. I know XML can be displayed through a browser, but how effective is it for production into, say, audio CD, MP3, or braille? Thanks. I know this is going to sound a bit At 04:47 PM 2/24/2005 -0800, you wrote: >This is germane out discussion on e-text > >Ron > >-----Original Message----- >From: Disabled Student Services in Higher Education >[mailto:DSSHE-L@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU] On Behalf Of Marks, Jim >Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2005 4:03 PM >To: DSSHE-L@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU >Subject: Re: [DSSHE-L] How many blind objections to PDFs are based on... > >I'm glad Carol pointed out that PDF files are a problem for people with >learning disabilities. My office has been discussing whether there is a >difference in e-text for students with learning disabilities and for >those who are blind or visually impaired. One staff member, a person >with a learning disability that impacts her ability to read print >effectively, said that e-text designed for blind users works very well >for people with learning disabilities as well. Yes, many people with >learning disabilities prefer to see the print versions of their >textbooks, especially the visual features of print such as graphics, >photos, etc. However, this can be easily accomplished by reading the >print book along with the e-text. We don't really have to get fancy >with the technology by creating e-text with all the visual features >built in. If we build e-text that works for blind users, then it is >universally accessible. This is very important to consider since the >numbers of college students with learning disabilities hover around 2 to >4 percent of students with disabilities while the blind and visually >impaired comprise about one half of one percent of students with >disabilities. In addition, many of the people who are designing e-text >are not users of e-text. They bring lots of talent to the process, but >they also bring in paradigms biased to visual access to print. If >e-text somehow splits into two camps, one for visual access and one for >non-visual, it could damage accessibility for all people with print >disabilities. There's no problem finding something that works according >to the needs and abilities of a particular individual, but we should >take care not to create an industry standard that won't work for >everyone. For example, my office sometimes does create PDF files, the >inaccessible type, that we give students to use with WYNN or Kurzweil >3000. WYNN and Kurzweil easily convert the PDF files, and students can >sometimes use the exact view features of these programs to see an image >of the book while the program reads what it thinks the image is saying. >We do not build accessible PDF documents, although some colleges and >universities do this routinely. We don't because other file formats >work so much better for everyone. Much depends on how the end user >reads the e-text. Point here is that PDF works for some, but not all. >And, again, please ask for XML version of e-text from publishers. XML >affords the highest degree of universal accessibility, and it's the >standard for K-12 education. Makes sense that higher education would do >the same. > > >Jim Marks >Director of Disability Services >University of Montana-Missoula >jim.marks@umontana.edu >http://www.umt.edu/dss > > > >-----Original Message----- >From: CManchester [mailto:cmanchester@HOWARDCC.EDU] >Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2005 3:47 PM >To: DSSHE-L@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU >Subject: Re: How many blind objections to PDFs are based on... > > >It's a problem for LD users also. > >Carol Manchester > >This list is intended to serve as a forum for professionals involved in >the delivery of services to students with disabilities in higher >education. Any commercial posts or posts that are deemed by the >listowner to be inappropriate for the list will result in the poster >being removed from the list. > >To sign off the list, send a message to >* listserv@listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu >* with the message >* signoff dsshe-l >To search the archives, go to >http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/archives/dsshe-l.html >Questions? Contact Listowner Dan Ryan at dryan@buffalo.edu >_______________________________________________ >adtech-ps mailing list >adtech-ps@lists.oregonstate.edu >http://lists.oregonstate.edu/mailman/listinfo/adtech-ps > >To unsubscribe, send a message to: >adtech-ps-request@lists.oregonstate.edu >with the word "unsubscribe" in the body. > > Robert Lee Beach, Assistive Technology Specialist Kansas City Kansas Community College 7250 State Avenue Kansas City, KS 66112 Phone: (913) 288-7671 Fax: (913) 288-7678 http://www.kckcc.edu/faculty/beach/ E-Mail: rbeach@toto.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From djbrky at bu.edu Fri Feb 25 09:54:15 2005 From: djbrky at bu.edu (Berkowitz, Daniel J) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:58 2018 Subject: [athen] Richard and Ron discussion Message-ID: <8E929D499290744FA1BAFB2A63F3128B01F69718@XMS.ad2.bu.edu> Richard -- This is absolutely spot-on -- I have my editors add page numbers to eText files so that the MP3's will include them - just like RFB&D readers add the page number to their recordings. They literally type in "page xx". I have experimented with creating MP3's in different ways. The best - but most time consuming to set up - is bookmarking each page as a separate track. This can also be overwhelming for the end-user as they are suddenly confronted with hundreds and hundreds of tracks, each no more than a minute in length. The page numbers and time segment approach works quite well. I tend towards 10 minute tracks but will alter that as the student becomes more comfortable with using the format and asks for tracks to be longer or shorter. But if we remind ourselves that this technology did not even exist a few years ago - I am certain the manufactureres will continue to improve upon their products by making them easier to use and more powerful. ---Dann ________________________________ From: athen-bounces@lists.oregonstate.edu on behalf of Stewart, Ron Sent: Fri 2/25/2005 11:58 AM To: Richard Jones Cc: adtech-ps@lists.oregonstate.edu; athen@lists.oregonstate.edu Subject: [athen] RE: [adtech-ps] RE: more e-text discussion Yes, but we need to make sure that this simple and basic step of editing occurs which in most instances that I have encountered does not. Hopefully the E-Text best practices group that I am coordinating for AHEAD will in the next year or so help to greatly educate the masses. Ron ________________________________ From: adtech-ps-bounces@lists.oregonstate.edu on behalf of Richard Jones Sent: Fri 2/25/2005 8:30 AM Cc: adtech-ps@lists.oregonstate.edu; athen@lists.oregonstate.edu Subject: RE: [adtech-ps] RE: more e-text discussion Dear Ron Stewart and Adtech-ps, I completely agree with you that a structured audio file, i.e. DAISY, based on XML, is an appropriate accommodation for students with disabilities. BTW, Daisy is recorded with MP3 data compression. I would like to add that you can obtain a minimal form of navigation with MP3 files if they are created properly. If the text is being read into an MP3 recorder and the reader records each page as a separate track, you will be able to distinguish pages. That is the only general navigational technique that I am aware of for a standard MP3 file. This is still not as accessible as a four track tape, with beeps. Still it is something and may be useful for some students. I have used this with students who want a CD/MP3 based accommodation. Richard Jones Assistant Director Disability Resource Center Arizona State University CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail message is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you believe you have received this e-mail in error please notify the sender. -----Original Message----- From: adtech-ps-bounces@lists.oregonstate.edu [mailto:adtech-ps-bounces@lists.oregonstate.edu]On Behalf Of Stewart, Ron Sent: Friday, February 25, 2005 8:48 AM To: Robert Lee Beach Cc: adtech-ps@lists.oregonstate.edu; athen@lists.oregonstate.edu Subject: [adtech-ps] RE: more e-text discussion Robert, Hope you don't mind but I would like to share your email and my response with the group. I would not be surprised at all, we all deal with a lot of ignorance, and maybe it is just me but ignorance seems to be an epidemic these days. I have had very similar discussions when doing sessions on e-text production, and in working with uniformed DS folks in explaining why this transition is necessary. People want to focus the entire conversation on why an MP3 file, or any audio file is good enough to meet the needs of the majority of individuals with print disabilities. That is the same misguided thinking that says audio tapes are good enough and we do not need to consider moving to a digital medium. It also reflects the same ignorance that says a dump of a scanned book to a cdrom, without editing is access. When we focus on the technology instead of on the purpose for using the technology we do a disservice to our clients and to our emerging profession. The position typically is that their clients were all happy, that it is inexpensive to produce and very portable. Things that I would agree with on the surface, but in actuality are totally unrelated to the purpose for providing the access in the first place, and that is to access the curriculum. If they students choose to ignore their other options and just use a audio file for access then that is their choice, a poor one in my opinion, but that does not relieve us of our responsibility to show them the potentials. Also when I hear that users are satisfied with a limited solution, first my blood pressure goes way up, then I have to ask what other options are provided to the clients so that they really can see what the possibilities are and which ones meet their individual needs. This is the same kind of thinking error that we encounter from administrators who say we do not have a problem because no one is complaining. However the question really should be, if we are acting as professionals in the field of access technologies; how can we provide equitable access to the curriculum for our users that truly gives them a level playing field? As has often been stated this can not be done with an MP3 file, it is not indexed and does not allow for efficient use of the material, i.e. the ability to navigate it. We can not separate the technology or delivery mechanism from the teaching and learning process. The most successful students are those that know how to best access the required information to complete a required learning activity. With a text book that is done by drilling down into the material to the exact material required, and this can only be done with an ability to scan the material an almost impossible task with a typical audio file. Listening to John Grisham on a audio book is a worthwhile leisure activity. Finding a specific set of cause and effect relationships is a learning activity which requires a specific set of tools and skills. Now for your question: XML is a meta-data based information structuring system, not really just a data delivery mechanism. It allows for the delivery of information into whatever format is desired as long as the appropriate data structure is contained in the underlying database, and the retrieval tool supports the data structure. For example, if I had the entire electronic textbook in my XML based book repository I could query the system for the book, and have it provided as an MP3 file or as a structured e-text file so that it could be brailed. Ron Stewart ________________________________ From: Robert Lee Beach [mailto:rbeach@toto.net] Sent: Fri 2/25/2005 6:14 AM To: Stewart, Ron Subject: Re: [adtech-ps] FW: [DSSHE-L] How many blind objections to PDFs arebased on... I really like that this person pointed out one fact. Many of the people producing e-text are not users themselves. You'd be surprised how many people I've argued with regarding the importance of indexing audio text. They think they can just begin recording, turn the tape over when they ge to the end, and keep going. Or, if producing on CD, they don't see the need for marking the beging of pages with even the page numbers, much less marking them so that each page is a separate track. I did get one person to admit that producing whole chapters wasn't really the best for the student, so they break the tracks into 5 or 10 minute segments. How helpful is that? You then have to provide an index to show what pages are included in each segment or the user still cannot find what they're looking for without going through the whole CD. Now, I have a question. I know XML can be displayed through a browser, but how effective is it for production into, say, audio CD, MP3, or braille? Thanks. I know this is going to sound a bit At 04:47 PM 2/24/2005 -0800, you wrote: >This is germane out discussion on e-text > >Ron > >-----Original Message----- >From: Disabled Student Services in Higher Education >[mailto:DSSHE-L@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU] On Behalf Of Marks, Jim >Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2005 4:03 PM >To: DSSHE-L@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU >Subject: Re: [DSSHE-L] How many blind objections to PDFs are based on... > >I'm glad Carol pointed out that PDF files are a problem for people with >learning disabilities. My office has been discussing whether there is a >difference in e-text for students with learning disabilities and for >those who are blind or visually impaired. One staff member, a person >with a learning disability that impacts her ability to read print >effectively, said that e-text designed for blind users works very well >for people with learning disabilities as well. Yes, many people with >learning disabilities prefer to see the print versions of their >textbooks, especially the visual features of print such as graphics, >photos, etc. However, this can be easily accomplished by reading the >print book along with the e-text. We don't really have to get fancy >with the technology by creating e-text with all the visual features >built in. If we build e-text that works for blind users, then it is >universally accessible. This is very important to consider since the >numbers of college students with learning disabilities hover around 2 to >4 percent of students with disabilities while the blind and visually >impaired comprise about one half of one percent of students with >disabilities. In addition, many of the people who are designing e-text >are not users of e-text. They bring lots of talent to the process, but >they also bring in paradigms biased to visual access to print. If >e-text somehow splits into two camps, one for visual access and one for >non-visual, it could damage accessibility for all people with print >disabilities. There's no problem finding something that works according >to the needs and abilities of a particular individual, but we should >take care not to create an industry standard that won't work for >everyone. For example, my office sometimes does create PDF files, the >inaccessible type, that we give students to use with WYNN or Kurzweil >3000. WYNN and Kurzweil easily convert the PDF files, and students can >sometimes use the exact view features of these programs to see an image >of the book while the program reads what it thinks the image is saying. >We do not build accessible PDF documents, although some colleges and >universities do this routinely. We don't because other file formats >work so much better for everyone. Much depends on how the end user >reads the e-text. Point here is that PDF works for some, but not all. >And, again, please ask for XML version of e-text from publishers. XML >affords the highest degree of universal accessibility, and it's the >standard for K-12 education. Makes sense that higher education would do >the same. > > >Jim Marks >Director of Disability Services >University of Montana-Missoula >jim.marks@umontana.edu >http://www.umt.edu/dss > > > >-----Original Message----- >From: CManchester [mailto:cmanchester@HOWARDCC.EDU] >Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2005 3:47 PM >To: DSSHE-L@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU >Subject: Re: How many blind objections to PDFs are based on... > > >It's a problem for LD users also. > >Carol Manchester > >This list is intended to serve as a forum for professionals involved in >the delivery of services to students with disabilities in higher >education. Any commercial posts or posts that are deemed by the >listowner to be inappropriate for the list will result in the poster >being removed from the list. > >To sign off the list, send a message to >* listserv@listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu >* with the message >* signoff dsshe-l >To search the archives, go to >http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/archives/dsshe-l.html >Questions? Contact Listowner Dan Ryan at dryan@buffalo.edu >_______________________________________________ >adtech-ps mailing list >adtech-ps@lists.oregonstate.edu >http://lists.oregonstate.edu/mailman/listinfo/adtech-ps > >To unsubscribe, send a message to: >adtech-ps-request@lists.oregonstate.edu >with the word "unsubscribe" in the body. > > Robert Lee Beach, Assistive Technology Specialist Kansas City Kansas Community College 7250 State Avenue Kansas City, KS 66112 Phone: (913) 288-7671 Fax: (913) 288-7678 http://www.kckcc.edu/faculty/beach/ E-Mail: rbeach@toto.net From ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu Fri Feb 25 15:42:26 2005 From: ron.stewart at oregonstate.edu (Stewart, Ron) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:58 2018 Subject: [athen] RE: [adtech-ps] RE: more e-text discussion Message-ID: <2B8B2BD3A0D58F41B0F28F215AF4901D01CB6EEA@mtadams.nws.oregonstate.edu> Jim, I am going to give you my opinion, everything is cast in Jell-O at this point. The k-12 folks have a legally mandated system, post-secondary has nothing but we are getting some very good indications of were we should be going from things like the CSU-Fullerton letter. Your conclusions are correct, but this is really a work in progress and we are still at the initial stages of its development. At this point I think all of this is best viewed as a framework on which we should be leveraging all future efforts. Personally I think a fully implemented XML based structure is what we should be moving towards and that may be manifested as a Daisy Book, a Braille ready book, or as a NFF Book as a deliverable. It is my opinion that currently the best standard that exists is the DTB3 standard, but as the technology develops over the next few years we should be able to move beyond the limitations of this and look at the DTB3 as one deliverable format. Long term we should all be producing materials based on the same set of standards, and what we should get from the publishers is a raw, XML based file containing all the underlying data sets from the specific curriculum/textbook. It will then be our responsibility to convert that file to the needed accommodation format be it Braille or Audio book. Currently we are seeing several very immature tools for doing this markup process, and as those develop we will know better were we are going. My program is going to be part of the beta testing of the next version of the Dolphin production tool, and the folks at the HTTCU are working with another product system wide that is showing average book production times of 6-8 hours. Gaeir can jump in here in as she wishes. What are my major concerns, the total lack of provision for graphics, images, math and science in all of the current scenarios. How DS offices or alt format production centers are going to ramp up the production efforts so that they can deliver the needed final product, because in every reasonable model I have looked at your are going to be working with an electronic source file. Finally how are we all going to meet the timeline constraints that are currently emerging, the whole book at the start of class. Ron ________________________________ From: Marks, Jim [mailto:Marks@mso.umt.edu] Sent: Friday, February 25, 2005 2:51 PM To: Stewart, Ron Cc: adtech-ps@lists.oregonstate.edu; athen@lists.oregonstate.edu Subject: RE: [adtech-ps] RE: more e-text discussion Thanks, Ron, for your leadership on usable e-text. Those who access print via alternate formats really need several tools to get the job done, and some tools work well for some, but not all. Like you, I am troubled by solutions that sort of address access, but don't quite deliver the kind of utility that print disabled people must have to be on equal footing with print readers. The adoption of NIMAS in IDEA 2004 should help us get to a better place. However, it's my understanding that NIMAS, which is designed for K-12 and not higher education, is a cut down version of XML. These files may require more work to make them as functional as possible. Is this accurate? Also, I wonder what you think about whether the file format provided by publishers should be different from what campus alternate format services should provide. I'm faced with sacrificing quality in order to get e-text out quickly. This makes me uncomfortable because I know we could be doing a better job. But I wonder whether campus services can ever do as well as what we should expect from publishers. Thanks! Jim Marks Director of Disability Services University of Montana-Missoula jim.marks@umontana.edu http://www.umt.edu/dss -----Original Message----- From: Stewart, Ron [mailto:ron.stewart@oregonstate.edu] Sent: Friday, February 25, 2005 8:48 AM To: Robert Lee Beach Cc: adtech-ps@lists.oregonstate.edu; athen@lists.oregonstate.edu Subject: [adtech-ps] RE: more e-text discussion Robert, Hope you don't mind but I would like to share your email and my response with the group. I would not be surprised at all, we all deal with a lot of ignorance, and maybe it is just me but ignorance seems to be an epidemic these days. I have had very similar discussions when doing sessions on e-text production, and in working with uniformed DS folks in explaining why this transition is necessary. People want to focus the entire conversation on why an MP3 file, or any audio file is good enough to meet the needs of the majority of individuals with print disabilities. That is the same misguided thinking that says audio tapes are good enough and we do not need to consider moving to a digital medium. It also reflects the same ignorance that says a dump of a scanned book to a cdrom, without editing is access. When we focus on the technology instead of on the purpose for using the technology we do a disservice to our clients and to our emerging profession. The position typically is that their clients were all happy, that it is inexpensive to produce and very portable. Things that I would agree with on the surface, but in actuality are totally unrelated to the purpose for providing the access in the first place, and that is to access the curriculum. If they students choose to ignore their other options and just use a audio file for access then that is their choice, a poor one in my opinion, but that does not relieve us of our responsibility to show them the potentials. Also when I hear that users are satisfied with a limited solution, first my blood pressure goes way up, then I have to ask what other options are provided to the clients so that they really can see what the possibilities are and which ones meet their individual needs. This is the same kind of thinking error that we encounter from administrators who say we do not have a problem because no one is complaining. However the question really should be, if we are acting as professionals in the field of access technologies; how can we provide equitable access to the curriculum for our users that truly gives them a level playing field? As has often been stated this can not be done with an MP3 file, it is not indexed and does not allow for efficient use of the material, i.e. the ability to navigate it. We can not separate the technology or delivery mechanism from the teaching and learning process. The most successful students are those that know how to best access the required information to complete a required learning activity. With a text book that is done by drilling down into the material to the exact material required, and this can only be done with an ability to scan the material an almost impossible task with a typical audio file. Listening to John Grisham on a audio book is a worthwhile leisure activity. Finding a specific set of cause and effect relationships is a learning activity which requires a specific set of tools and skills. Now for your question: XML is a meta-data based information structuring system, not really just a data delivery mechanism. It allows for the delivery of information into whatever format is desired as long as the appropriate data structure is contained in the underlying database, and the retrieval tool supports the data structure. For example, if I had the entire electronic textbook in my XML based book repository I could query the system for the book, and have it provided as an MP3 file or as a structured e-text file so that it could be brailed. Ron Stewart ________________________________ From: Robert Lee Beach [mailto:rbeach@toto.net] Sent: Fri 2/25/2005 6:14 AM To: Stewart, Ron Subject: Re: [adtech-ps] FW: [DSSHE-L] How many blind objections to PDFs arebased on... I really like that this person pointed out one fact. Many of the people producing e-text are not users themselves. You'd be surprised how many people I've argued with regarding the importance of indexing audio text. They think they can just begin recording, turn the tape over when they ge to the end, and keep going. Or, if producing on CD, they don't see the need for marking the beging of pages with even the page numbers, much less marking them so that each page is a separate track. I did get one person to admit that producing whole chapters wasn't really the best for the student, so they break the tracks into 5 or 10 minute segments. How helpful is that? You then have to provide an index to show what pages are included in each segment or the user still cannot find what they're looking for without going through the whole CD. Now, I have a question. I know XML can be displayed through a browser, but how effective is it for production into, say, audio CD, MP3, or braille? Thanks. I know this is going to sound a bit At 04:47 PM 2/24/2005 -0800, you wrote: >This is germane out discussion on e-text > >Ron > >-----Original Message----- >From: Disabled Student Services in Higher Education >[mailto:DSSHE-L@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU] On Behalf Of Marks, Jim >Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2005 4:03 PM >To: DSSHE-L@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU >Subject: Re: [DSSHE-L] How many blind objections to PDFs are based on... > >I'm glad Carol pointed out that PDF files are a problem for people with >learning disabilities. My office has been discussing whether there is a >difference in e-text for students with learning disabilities and for >those who are blind or visually impaired. One staff member, a person >with a learning disability that impacts her ability to read print >effectively, said that e-text designed for blind users works very well >for people with learning disabilities as well. Yes, many people with >learning disabilities prefer to see the print versions of their >textbooks, especially the visual features of print such as graphics, >photos, etc. However, this can be easily accomplished by reading the >print book along with the e-text. We don't really have to get fancy >with the technology by creating e-text with all the visual features >built in. If we build e-text that works for blind users, then it is >universally accessible. This is very important to consider since the >numbers of college students with learning disabilities hover around 2 to >4 percent of students with disabilities while the blind and visually >impaired comprise about one half of one percent of students with >disabilities. In addition, many of the people who are designing e-text >are not users of e-text. They bring lots of talent to the process, but >they also bring in paradigms biased to visual access to print. If >e-text somehow splits into two camps, one for visual access and one for >non-visual, it could damage accessibility for all people with print >disabilities. There's no problem finding something that works according >to the needs and abilities of a particular individual, but we should >take care not to create an industry standard that won't work for >everyone. For example, my office sometimes does create PDF files, the >inaccessible type, that we give students to use with WYNN or Kurzweil >3000. WYNN and Kurzweil easily convert the PDF files, and students can >sometimes use the exact view features of these programs to see an image >of the book while the program reads what it thinks the image is saying. >We do not build accessible PDF documents, although some colleges and >universities do this routinely. We don't because other file formats >work so much better for everyone. Much depends on how the end user >reads the e-text. Point here is that PDF works for some, but not all. >And, again, please ask for XML version of e-text from publishers. XML >affords the highest degree of universal accessibility, and it's the >standard for K-12 education. Makes sense that higher education would do >the same. > > >Jim Marks >Director of Disability Services >University of Montana-Missoula >jim.marks@umontana.edu >http://www.umt.edu/dss > > > >-----Original Message----- >From: CManchester [mailto:cmanchester@HOWARDCC.EDU] >Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2005 3:47 PM >To: DSSHE-L@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU >Subject: Re: How many blind objections to PDFs are based on... > > >It's a problem for LD users also. > >Carol Manchester > >This list is intended to serve as a forum for professionals involved in >the delivery of services to students with disabilities in higher >education. Any commercial posts or posts that are deemed by the >listowner to be inappropriate for the list will result in the poster >being removed from the list. > >To sign off the list, send a message to >* listserv@listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu >* with the message >* signoff dsshe-l >To search the archives, go to >http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/archives/dsshe-l.html >Questions? Contact Listowner Dan Ryan at dryan@buffalo.edu >_______________________________________________ >adtech-ps mailing list >adtech-ps@lists.oregonstate.edu >http://lists.oregonstate.edu/mailman/listinfo/adtech-ps > >To unsubscribe, send a message to: >adtech-ps-request@lists.oregonstate.edu >with the word "unsubscribe" in the body. > > Robert Lee Beach, Assistive Technology Specialist Kansas City Kansas Community College 7250 State Avenue Kansas City, KS 66112 Phone: (913) 288-7671 Fax: (913) 288-7678 http://www.kckcc.edu/faculty/beach/ E-Mail: rbeach@toto.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From djbrky at bu.edu Sat Feb 26 06:03:53 2005 From: djbrky at bu.edu (Berkowitz, Daniel J) Date: Sat Jun 9 18:27:58 2018 Subject: [athen] Accessing eText (was How many blind objections...) Message-ID: <8E929D499290744FA1BAFB2A63F3128B01F6971E@XMS.ad2.bu.edu> I have never tried BookPorts - but perhaps I will get one and try it out. I have had blind students who do not liked using them, but I have never tried them for LD students. At this time we loan LD students copies of eReader. For years we have loaned students 4-track players for their RFB&D books and each copy of eReader costs about the same. Beyond allowing TTS access to eText the program also includes a very good web-browser and screen reader, Daisy access, and functional word-processing (type and talk). We combine eReader with AT&T Natural Voices on a students personal computer and the results have been very well received. Jim - What are the voices like on the BookPort? ---Dann ================================== Daniel J. Berkowitz Assistant Director Boston University Office of Disability Services 19 Deerfield Street, 2nd floor Boston, MA 02215 617-353-3658 (voice) 617-353-9646 (fax) 617-947-4666 (mobile) djbrky@bu.edu (eMail) buodsdann (aim) http://www.bu.edu/disability -----Original Message----- From: adtech-ps-bounces@lists.oregonstate.edu [mailto:adtech-ps-bounces@lists.oregonstate.edu]On Behalf Of Marks, Jim Sent: Friday, February 25, 2005 4:54 PM To: Berkowitz, Daniel J; Stewart, Ron; adtech-ps@lists.oregonstate.edu; athen@lists.oregonstate.edu Subject: RE: [adtech-ps] FW: [DSSHE-L] How many blind objections toPDFsarebased on... Here's an interesting wrinkle. We use Book-Ports to read e-text. Students borrow the Book-Ports for a semester. The Book-Port is designed primarily for blind users. The wrinkle is that our blind and visually impaired students hardly ever use the Book-Ports, but our LD students love them. The blind students tend to use other reading tools such as Braille Notes and PacMates, tools that give the user far more navigation than does the Book-Port. The LD students love the Book-Ports because they are easy to use, they look cool, and they are so portable. The e-text itself is identical. So, maybe what we have here is an issue with the tools used to read the e-text. Book-Ports are fairly expensive, but they sure solved a lot of access issues for students and my office. We don't have to mess with complicated efforts to create MP3 files or other audio formats. And we can provide very speedy access to the print. Jim Marks Director of Disability Services University of Montana-Missoula jim.marks@umontana.edu http://www.umt.edu/dss -----Original Message----- From: Berkowitz, Daniel J [mailto:djbrky@bu.edu] Sent: Friday, February 25, 2005 9:07 AM To: Stewart, Ron; adtech-ps@lists.oregonstate.edu; athen@lists.oregonstate.edu Subject: RE: [adtech-ps] FW: [DSSHE-L] How many blind objections to PDFsarebased on... Sometimes we get so caught up in the technology that we forget its original intent. In the case of eText usage by LD students, the change over to electronic text is primarily so that we can make use of new technologies such as TTS programs and MP3 conversions. Simply to provide a better avenue towards providing the student with an audible version of the textbook that is faster to create than traditional audio taping. LD student will still have access to - and I expect them to use - their textbooks. The whole purpose of audio versions of their textbooks is that it allows them a multisensory approach to the material which will enhance their comprehension and alleviate the impact their diagnosed disability has on their ability to access their course materials efficiently. Audio or eText for LD students is not supposed to replace the textbook - it is supposed to enhance the student's ability to access the material. In many cases we have to remind and teach/re-teach our students why they are getting this accommodation and how they are supposed to be using it. An eye opener for me were two students I had years ago who shunned RFB&D tapes and wanted them recorded in-house. Student #1 made the case that RFB&D tapes recorded everything - every detail, picture caption, footnote, chart, etc. and she did not need all of this. Her LD impacted her ability to read large blocks of text and all of the extraneous stuff was distracting and time consuming. Especially the science and biology books she had to read. This was a fair and understandable request. Student #2 did not like the RFB&D books because of the 4-track recording. She told me straight out that she wanted to listen to the books on her car stereo while commuting. When I explained to her how she was supposed to make us of her books on tape - she balked and told me she never bought the textbooks. This request was rejected. We also have to recognize that LD is an umbrella term and it covers many different types of cognitive learning issues. Many of us are not only responsible for providing the alt-format materials, but are also responsible for determining the validity of the request and specifically to what extend the student will receive the accommodation. I have had students who insisted upon getting books on tape because of their LD only to find out that for their K-12 years they had been getting this service and not needed it because their diagnosed condition did not warrant it. Then we find ourselves in the position of weaning these students off their learned helplessness. In the eText production process for LD students, I instruct my editors to remove all pictures, charts, graphs, etc. because the student will have the textbook and be reading along. This is especially so when the books are to be converted into MP3. I do have them replace pictures with text informing the reader that a picture, etc. has been removed and to refer to the text and page number. However, flexibility is the most beautiful things about eText. Nothing gets erased and raw scans that have graphics can be edited in a different format as necessary. I can take one book and produce it in multiple formats for different end-users specific needs. ---Dann ================================== Daniel J. Berkowitz Assistant Director Boston University Office of Disability Services 19 Deerfield Street, 2nd floor Boston, MA 02215 617-353-3658 (voice) 617-353-9646 (fax) 617-947-4666 (mobile) djbrky@bu.edu (eMail) buodsdann (aim) http://www.bu.edu/disability ________________________________ From: adtech-ps-bounces@lists.oregonstate.edu on behalf of Stewart, Ron Sent: Thu 2/24/2005 7:47 PM To: adtech-ps@lists.oregonstate.edu; athen@lists.oregonstate.edu Subject: [adtech-ps] FW: [DSSHE-L] How many blind objections to PDFs arebased on... This is germane out discussion on e-text Ron -----Original Message----- From: Disabled Student Services in Higher Education [mailto:DSSHE-L@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU] On Behalf Of Marks, Jim Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2005 4:03 PM To: DSSHE-L@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU Subject: Re: [DSSHE-L] How many blind objections to PDFs are based on... I'm glad Carol pointed out that PDF files are a problem for people with learning disabilities. My office has been discussing whether there is a difference in e-text for students with learning disabilities and for those who are blind or visually impaired. One staff member, a person with a learning disability that impacts her ability to read print effectively, said that e-text designed for blind users works very well for people with learning disabilities as well. Yes, many people with learning disabilities prefer to see the print versions of their textbooks, especially the visual features of print such as graphics, photos, etc. However, this can be easily accomplished by reading the print book along with the e-text. We don't really have to get fancy with the technology by creating e-text with all the visual features built in. If we build e-text that works for blind users, then it is universally accessible. This is very important to consider since the numbers of college students with learning disabilities hover around 2 to 4 percent of students with disabilities while the blind and visually impaired comprise about one half of one percent of students with disabilities. In addition, many of the people who are designing e-text are not users of e-text. They bring lots of talent to the process, but they also bring in paradigms biased to visual access to print. If e-text somehow splits into two camps, one for visual access and one for non-visual, it could damage accessibility for all people with print disabilities. There's no problem finding something that works according to the needs and abilities of a particular individual, but we should take care not to create an industry standard that won't work for everyone. For example, my office sometimes does create PDF files, the inaccessible type, that we give students to use with WYNN or Kurzweil 3000. WYNN and Kurzweil easily convert the PDF files, and students can sometimes use the exact view features of these programs to see an image of the book while the program reads what it thinks the image is saying. We do not build accessible PDF documents, although some colleges and universities do this routinely. We don't because other file formats work so much better for everyone. Much depends on how the end user reads the e-text. Point here is that PDF works for some, but not all. And, again, please ask for XML version of e-text from publishers. XML affords the highest degree of universal accessibility, and it's the standard for K-12 education. Makes sense that higher education would do the same. Jim Marks Director of Disability Services University of Montana-Missoula jim.marks@umontana.edu http://www.umt.edu/dss