[Athen] AltFormat Survey

[jkb]

1. Time Time Time to convert all the inaccessible formats, especially STEM
with complex math and images. This includes publisher materials,
institutional materials, faculty produced materials.

2. Understaffing due to lack of understanding on the part of administrators
of the time-consuming nature of alt format production and the necessity
that we produce alt formats that meet student needs and OCR requirements.

3. Training that consumes too much time because most of the stafrf consist
of student workers or part time staff from other departments who move on
after a semester or two.

4. Lack of a central alt format production solution like the HTCTU or AMAC.
Institutions in my state refuse to collaborate as they fear loss of
independence and autonomy.

5. Too many students who are unfamilair with alt formats and how to use
them and agencies with tighter and tighter budgets who refuse to pay for
sufficient training of their student clients.

Those are my top 5. And ditto to what everyone else has said so far.

Julie K Balassa

On Wed, Apr 2, 2014 at 11:47 AM, Hunziker, Dawn A - (hunziker) <
hunziker at email.arizona.edu> wrote:


>  Hi all,

>

>

>

> I'd like to add issues with "extra" or complimentary materials provided by

> publishers.  This can include homework, quizzes, additional reading,

> learning support, etc.  We've had instructors require these complimentary

> materials and since many are (were?) flash-based, we end up having to

> basically re-type the entire assignment.

>

>

>

> Alongside STEM I would add foreign language materials for difficulty in

> conversion.

>

>

>

> Dawn

>

>

>

> ~~

>

> Dawn Hunziker

>

> Coordinator, Technology Access

>

>

>

> Disability Resource Center

>

> 520-626-9409

>

> hunziker at email.arizona.edu

>

>

>

> *From:* athen-list [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman13.u.washington.edu] *On

> Behalf Of *Teresa Haven

> *Sent:* Wednesday, April 02, 2014 7:40 AM

>

> *To:* Access Technology Higher Education Network

> *Subject:* Re: [Athen] AltFormat Survey

>

>

>

> I'll third all of what Susan and Kathleen said.  Also, even when students

> do know what works best for them, faculty often don't understand how to

> create an accessible document or just think that because it's digital it's

> automatically accessible.  Getting the faculty educated in how to do things

> right from the beginning (so that they can post last-second content without

> needing conversion), without also having to teach each one of them

> individually, is a growing challenge.

>

>

>

> Teresa

>

>

>

> Teresa Haven, Ph.D.

>

> Accessibility Analyst

>

> Northern Arizona University

>

> (928) 523-6042

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> *From:* athen-list [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman13.u.washington.edu<athen-list-bounces at mailman13.u.washington.edu>]

> *On Behalf Of *Kathleen Cahill

> *Sent:* Wednesday, April 02, 2014 7:27 AM

> *To:* Access Technology Higher Education Network

> *Subject:* Re: [Athen] AltFormat Survey

>

>

>

> Susan, you summed it up so well.  Especially Penguin and Random House. I

> would also add that science simulations online are difficult to make

> accessible and students with disabilities lose out on those important

> teaching tools.

>

>

>

> STEM alt format is challenging since there are a number of ways to do it,

> all of which are somewhat convoluted and difficult.

>

>

>

> Our faculty sometimes provides course materials and class slides with

> little to no lead time for conversion.  Getting them to think ahead more is

> tough.  I second Susan's comment about the difficulties of what DAISY books

> work with what readers.

>

>

>

> Susan's point about professors and teaching staff thinking they understand

> how to provide alt format is also true.  We've had issues where the

> professors think they get it, the student isn't always clear about their

> needs and the exam isn't the right format.  We try to iron out these issues

> ahead of time, but it doesn't always happen.

>

>

>

>

>

> Kathleen Cahill

>

> MIT Assistive Technology Information Center (ATIC)

>

> 77 Mass. Ave. 7-143

>

> Cambridge MA 02139

>

> (617) 253-5111

>

> kcahill at mit.edu

>

>

>

>

>

> *From: *Susan Kelmer <Susan.Kelmer at Colorado.EDU>

> *Reply-To: *Access Network <athen-list at u.washington.edu>

> *Date: *Wednesday, April 2, 2014 at 10:13 AM

> *To: *Access Network <athen-list at u.washington.edu>

> *Subject: *Re: [Athen] AltFormat Survey

>

>

>

> Penguin

>

> Random House

>

>

>

> Only half kidding.  Actually, not kidding at all.  These two publishers

> give me the biggest grief. Aside from that:

>

>

>

> 1.       Publishers and others assuming that Bookshare is good enough.

> It is good for certain types of students, but not for all of them.

>

> 2.       Difficulty in STEM alt format - the conversion process, how much

> manual labor is involved, how complex the tools are.

>

> 3.       The assumption that an alt format person is also a content

> expert.

>

> 4.       A hundred different formats for a hundred different reasons, and

> needing specialized software to access some of them (Learning Ally and

> Bookshare and ePub and Daisy and and and) rather than the tools the student

> may already have.

>

> 5.       Professors and teaching staff that don't understand how

> important alternate format is, and how they can provide it easily

> themselves without our intervention.

>

>

>

> Those would be my top five.  I'm interested to see what others come up

> with.

>

>

>

> *Susan Kelmer*

>

> *Alternate Format Coordinator*

>

> *Disability Services*

>

> *University of Colorado*

>

> *303-735-4836 <303-735-4836>*

>

> _______________________________________________

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>

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