[Athen] Online eBook Accessibility

[Wink Harner]

Hi Dan et al,

 

For CourseSmart, for example, the students must purchase additional
technology in order for the "reader" to work and must both purchase an
"accessible version" of the book which is not immediately apparent or
available from the online bookstore, then must telephone customer service
for them to "turn on" the accessibility feature...Otherwise, it's a copy &
paste exercise into something like Balabolka. Does not meet my idea of
"accessible" with top 10 TTS applications. Don't know yet how simple or
complex the others are.

 

Will keep you all posted as I find out more.

From: athen-list [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman13.u.washington.edu] On
Behalf Of Dan Comden
Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2014 12:46 PM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network
Subject: Re: [Athen] Online eBook Accessibility

 

Last time I checked -- about a year ago -- TTS in Coursesmart was not so
smart. User had to highlight the text, bring it up in a dialog, yadda yadda

 

However it appears they listened to some feedback as their online help
indicates it works more smoothly now. http://is.gd/eDMrSY is the link that
describes how to use with ClaroRead

 

That's after you request "accessible" versions of Coursesmart-delivered
material noted in the first bullet point on the above link.

 

-*- Dan

 

On Wed, Mar 26, 2014 at 12:27 PM, Wink Harner <foreigntype at gmail.com> wrote:

Hi out there in ATHEN-Land,

 

Anyone have any first-hand experience with the use of screen readers or TTS
readers with online textbook sources such as:

- Chegg

- CourseSmart

- GooglePlay-

- Kindle

- Kno 

- Vital Source

 

Publisher denied a PDF file and suggested the student purchase one of the
electronic versions of the requested book from the sources (above).
Student's preference is PDF, but if he can get the file to read aloud, he
may be OK. I have asked him for his preference. 

 

What experience do any of you have in the TTS capabilities on any of those
e-book sources listed?

 

Let me know!

 

Thanks in advance for your collective knowledge.

 

Wink Harner

foreigntype at gmail.com

480-984-0034

 

 


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-- 

-*- Dan Comden                       danc at uw.edu
<mailto:danc at washington.edu> 

    Access Technology Center   www.uw.edu/itconnect/accessibility/atl/

    University of Washington      UW Information Technology

 

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