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NIMAS & Accessible Textbooks. Where are we now?. Skip Stahl. The Techie Bits (Deciphered). (What you’ve always wanted to know about XML, but have been afraid to ask). Sources of Accessible Instructional Materials. The Techie Bits (Deciphered). The Techie Bits (Deciphered).
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NIMAS & Accessible Textbooks Where are we now? Skip Stahl
The Techie Bits (Deciphered) (What you’ve always wanted to know about XML, but have been afraid to ask) Sources of Accessible Instructional Materials
The Techie Bits (Deciphered) Digital Media can be “tagged” For Structure
The Techie Bits (Deciphered) Digital Media can be “tagged” For Semantics (meaning)
The Techie Bits (Deciphered) With proper tagging, subsequent transformations can create multiple “student-ready” versions (e.g.; Braille, Digital Talking Book, etc.) from a single source document. A Textbook sample
Web page from NIMAS XML
DAISY Book from NIMAS XML
Braille from NIMAS XML
Relevant to Higher Education? • Unsure… • IP challenges – every student a market • 22,000 publications vs. 3500 • Few duplicate requests • No market for braille • What incentives for content producers? • AMP-based solutions? • Market solutions? • Legislated soutions?
What exists now • Ad Hoc local solutions • Accessible Media Producers • AccessText.org • Market options • State mandates (CA, KY, TX, etc.)
RFB&D • RFB&D is an Accessible Media Producer (AMP) providing instructional materials in the NIMAS format. • RFB&D offers many of the core textbooks in navigable audio format that predate the “published” date required for publishers to submit files to the NIMAC
RFB&D • Phase 1 product – Synthetic speech audio and full text delivered with quick turnaround • textbooks are prioritized and produced through human narration, in order for highest quality product for beginning readers • Phase 2 product – Human narrated audio replaces the synthetic speech version and is enhanced with figure descriptions
RFB&D • Phase 1 Synthetic Audio Books offer • Speedy delivery to states and students of texts • Audio playback on hardware devices and portability for students • Audio synchronized with full text of book on software • Phase 2 Human Narrated Audio Books offer • Unsurpassed human audio narration for correct pronunciation and prosody of text • Enhanced content with description of figures making them accessible for students with visual disabilities
Bookshare.org • New Web Site – January, 2009
Accomplishments • Bookshare.org content and services are FREE to all U.S. qualified students with a print disability of any age • Bookshare membership includes free versions of Humanware’s Victor Reader Soft Bookshare Edition and Don Johnston’s READ:OutLoud Bookshare Edition.) • Bookshare books can be read in a browser with a screen reader (a good option for Mac Users), other DAISY reading software (like eClipseReader and Book Wizard), with a portable device, or listened to on an MP3 player.
Braille • National Library Service • American Printing House • Federal Quota funds • Many local/regional braille production & distribution centers
AccessText Network Created by Publishers
Challenges remain • AHEAD is fully supportive of the philosophy behind the development of the ATN project. However, we have a number of concerns with how the project is being implemented, the majority of which concern the relationship between the ATN and local DS offices as articulated in the language of the "User Agreement" (AUA) that campuses are required to sign in order to participate.
