Message from Ron Stewart regarding E-Text Production

There has been some very good discussion on the listservs lately regarding the scanning of textbooks. ATHEN President Ron Stewart posted the following on the DSSHE-List:

Good Morning -

We are in the very early stages of development of what we hope will be a cooperative agreement between the major stakeholders in the production of curricular materials. It is my sincere hope that at the AHEAD 2006 conference we will be able to announce a major step forward in the collaborative relationship between the major publishers, the Authorized Entities such as RFB&D and Bookshare, and AHEAD and other advocacy organizations in regards to the effective provisioning of electronic source files for postsecondary students with disabilities.

On the website for the AHEAD E-Text Solutions Group you will find the first revision of our model practices for Management and Administration of E-Text Production Programs [.pdf]. If you do not find this document suitably accessible please contact me directly and I will work with you to provide you with a copy that meets your individual needs. We are very strongly encouraging all institutional producers to follow these recommendations, or move to doing so is as planful and deliberative a way as is possible. DAISY is the future, but it is going to take a number of years for us to get there in a holistic and meaningful way.

A critical part of this process is to review your current practices with your institutional administrations, and legal counsel to insure you are not just meeting the needs of your students with disabilities, but that you are doing so with the proper regard and respect for the intellectual property rights of the materials creators and owners. Key to this respect is a level of transparency in your programs operations that includes contacting the publisher for the works you are converting, even if you do not need the files. Trying to locate the files through the established authorized entities, and then finally in-house production of the materials.

A critical component, for me as a service provider, is to also insure that the way in which I am providing for the needs of my students, will also serve them well beyond the artificial academic world in which we are operating. "Give a person a fish, and you feed them for a day.
Teach them to fish and you will allow them to feed themselves for a lifetime." This requires that students be able to fully utilize the entire gamut of resources that they have at their disposal, and learn to use these resources in an effective and empowering way.

EDUCAUSE | Security Task Force | Computer Security Awareness Video Contest

Internet and computer security is important for all students, and perhaps doubly so for those who rely on one particular unit because of specific configurations and software. Should the typical student encounter 'issues' with their personal machine there are likely plenty of campus options that will provide temporary access while their unit is being sanitized. For students relying on access technologies, it may be more difficult [or impossible] for them to make an easy switch. Therefore, learning about internet and computer security can be even more important for this student population.

It is also not uncommon for us to assume that if a student is competent with advanced AT programs, they must also be above average in their understanding of computers [and by default of the internet, etc.]. Unfortunately, this is not necessarily the case. Just because someone can whip through windows using screenreaders or manipulate the mouse with just their voice, does not mean they are experienced enough to know what a phising e-mail looks like or what to do about cookie infestation.

With this as in intro - I recommend taking a look at [and sharing with your students] the winners of the EDUCAUSE/Internet2 Computer and Network Security Task Force and the National Cyber Security Alliance computer security awareness video contest.

Held as part of a national campaign to raise awareness of and increase computer security at colleges and universities. The contest searched for two categories of short computer awareness videos that addressed a broad range of security topics or focused on a single security issue. Submissions were developed by college students for college students. The winning videos are featured here and will be used in campus security awareness campaigns and efforts.

Braille Sheet - AFB's Blog

Wikked cool tech from the AFB Blog! Engineers at the University of Tokyo, School of Engineering are developing plastic sheeting that displays braille dynamically by creating arrays of bumps on its rubbery surface. The (refreshable?) cells are driven by braille input, such as from an e-book. AFB believes the practical applicability is till a few years away but I doubt it will take that long - especially after seeing as how quickly companies such as eInk have gotten their technology into the market. Just imagine some of the non-braille applications of this technology.

Learning Technologies Affecting Design of Learning Spaces [Educause 2005]

Courtesy of the Educause RSS feed comes some of the best session from the 2005 conference. This one, by Stephen Clarke, Head of eLearning, University of Birmingham, caught my ear and is worth a listen:

Increasing use of mobile devices and wireless networks will require new models of learning and teaching. Early indications suggest these technologies will benefit learners by supporting individualised learning, as devices become smaller, quicker, cheaper and easier to use. However, learning content and standards need to be developed for these newer platforms, and institutions require guidelines on the design of physical learning spaces.

Digital Content Protection Act of 2006 & Broadcast Flag

I have been keeping an eye on the Digital Millennial Copyright Act and its surrounding action items for a while - partially for my academic pursuits, but also because of the potential ramifications to our professional operations. Originally designed to control how the content of digital television is disseminated (a'la Tivo), the latest incarnation is set to cover pretty much any device that comes into contact with other devices that recieve digital video, radio, and most likely other portals that have yet to be discovered.

On the outside this may not look as though it impact us very much - but just consider what may occur should every students iPod and RFD&D's DAISY Players start having codecs installed that will not allow materials not authorized by designated entites to be played on them? Imagine a world where either of these scenarios takes place:

1. .mp3's or dtb's created in-house cannot be readily transferred to students personal players or computers or burned onto cd's - let alone shared among members of the AMX Database. [Sorry students, you are going to have to come to my office and use my computer to access your alt-text.]
2. Organizations such as Bookshare and RFBD, which have (or may be considering) over the web services may have to create additional layers of security for the distribution of their goods.

Are either if these really a possibility -- I believe they are (long-shots to be sure, but possible nontheless). Should this bill become law it could open the door to all sorts of weird mutations of copyright and fair use. However - things may have taken a turn for the better during the Senate Commerce Committee hearings earlier this week when MIT alum John Sununu (R-NH) interrupted to ask the question so far unconsidered by his colleagues: that being "Do we need this mandate at all?" The Electronic Frontier Foundation does a better job of reporting on this hearing than I could, so please take a look and listen.

Everything to Everyone [Inside Higher Ed]

Busy day on the listservs yesterday with parallel conversations taking place on DSSHE, ICU, and Alt-Media around issues of alternate-text production with asides continuing the conversation around copyright issues. Members of the Alt-Media list are aware of my interest (and views) on such issues as is anyone who visits this blog. I believe this is an important area for us to understand as part of our professional responsibilities and it does not get nearly as much attention as it deserves. I do not expect any of us to be copyright experts - but having a basic understanding the issues is very important - and especially true in todays digital era.

With such in mind, I want to bring to your attention the article Everything to Everyone by Tarleton Gillespie in todays issue of Insider Higher Ed.

Unlike battles around digital music that have occupied the courts’ attention of late, [the Google] case will be of vital importance for the academic community. What is at stake is the possibility of a digital database of all written knowledge, and the question of who gets to produce it and under what conditions. But the case will live or die not on the question of the value of such a database to users, but on the narrower legal question of whether Google has the right to scan the books to begin with.

Dr. Gillespie's comments make me wonder how soon the textbook version of the RIAA will come sniffing around our alt-text productions? It could happen folks - if the RIAA is willing to go to the lengths they have for a few downloaded tunes the copyright equivalent may be planning to come after one of our high-profile bretheren in order to set an example. The American Foundation for the Blind saw this as a possibility a couple of years ago when they responded to the Copyright Office's Notice of Inquiry with respect to proceedings mandated by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and again last year as they sought an extension to the exemption for literary works.

AFB understands and remains firmly committed to insuring the rights of producers of digital materials. However, we are equally committed to insuring non-infringing, fair use of materials in all of these formats including access to the technological measures that control access to copyrighted works.

The American Library Association has also chimed in:

Although many federal and state laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are generally construed to guarantee access to library materials and services, the current copyright laws do not ensure that librarians can easily purchase accessible versions of library materials for patrons. This disconnect between the accessibility mandates in federal law and the limits imposed by the copyright law make providing accessible library materials a daunting task for many librarians.

For an extremely good overview of all this - in language that even I can understand - take the time to read The Soundproof Book by Kerscher and Fruchterman.

I ran into a DRM issues just today. A blind student eMailed me with a request to convert a book she purchased at eBooks.com. I was able to download the .pdf but unable to convert it to .txt for use with her BrailleLite. The book can be read using the Adobe Reader - but this is a Doctoral candidate working on her Dissertation for goodness sake - being forced to plod along with the crappy Adobe "accessibility features" is insulting. Digital it may be - but certainly not what we consider to be accessible.

I figured someone out there had cracked the eBooks DRM but a quick search came up with nothing. The student and I eMailed durring the day and realized it will be easier just to buy the darn thing and scan it. My search, however, did provide me with a couple of interesting links. One brief blog post on why DRM is bad for books and another chronicling one poor souls efforts to actual purchase, download, and use a digital book.

eBooks.com cannot be blamed for not anticipating that a blind Ph.D. student would one day need this particular title in a format accessible with her refreshable braille display. Who woulda thunk it? But that is precisely the problem with all of this - few outside of our profession understand what is meant by accessibility. Why should this student have to go through such hassles to read this or any book in a manner that will allow her to access and make use of it just as easily as any of her sighted colleagues? What will it take for entites to understand that just because a textbook is digital does not mean it is accessible.

Photos: A brief history of hard drives | CNET News.com

Speaking of sounds we do not want to hear our harddrives make -- I wonder what this one would say if it could talk?

Wizzard Software Provides Thomson Higher Education with AT&T Natural Voices TTS for MP3 Format Textbooks

Wizzard Software announced today that Thomson Higher Education has licensed AT&T Natural Voices(R) for Desktop to create Audiobooks for Sciences, a library of MP3 format textbooks.

Initially skeptical - as always - I was curious as to who these folks are. But it appears they are one of those "behind the curtains" companies that produces stuff that other companies use in their products. However, closer inspection of the press release leaves me unclear what makes these books "accessible" other than the fact that they are being made available in an mp3 format. Also unclear is whether or not the texts are navigatable.

And this statement without explaining 'how' is just plain ridiculous: Visually-impaired students or students with learning disabilities also benefit from the audiobooks. I'll stick with tried and true resources and my in-house DAISY production thank-you-very-much.

ATHEN e-Journal Call For Papers - Deadline Approaching

The ATHEN e-Journal invites submissions for its upcoming edition on Electronic Text. Professionals working in the fields of disability services, alternative format production, higher education, publishing, or related fields are welcome to submit papers to be considered for publication.

ATHEN is a professional association and network for Access Technologists in Higher Education. The purpose of ATHEN is to collect and disseminate best practices in access technology in the higher education environment as well as present a collective voice for the professional practice of access technology in higher education. Meeting at conferences throughout the year, ATHEN strives to educate the higher educational community as to the appropriate uses of access technology. Members of ATHEN are also involved in various areas including web accessibility and Alternate Media.

Questions or submissions may be directed to:

Teresa Wells Haven
tlwells@uark.edu
University of Arkansas

Papers should be submitted electronically; MSWord, WordPerfect, OpenOffice, or RTF are preferred formats.

Submission deadline: 31 January 2005

Hard Disk Drive Knowledge Base:

Noises that indicate a defective drive

This site - courtesy of Hitachi Global Storage Technologies - provides a half-dozen .wav files of sounds you never want to hear!

How Much RAM Do You Really Need? | Tom's Hardware

You and I know how much we need in order to run some of our programs - For example are you aware that the latest release of ZoomText with AT&T Natural Voices is calling for 512 recommended/256 minimum. And some of those scanner/OCR programs need a lot of room to run. Not that I am recommending you use this report verbatim - but a bit of information like this can help clarify the RAM issue in your mind when putting together tech requests.

15 New Tech Concepts For 2006

Were this from a source not as fundamentally reliable as Popular Mechanics I would consider it little more than an example of a magazine that missed having an end-of-the-year-top-10 list in hopes of drawing readers. As it is - the list presented here is pretty good. Most of these items have little to do with our professional needs [though are worth knowing as consumers] but as leaders in out various specialities we should always be seeking the access technology angle for anything new we come across.

From the list:

• Metadata: I question how tags and such may impact access technologies - if at all.
• Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) - as campuses ink contracts with sources such as iTunes and expand their cable offerings to students, will it come to pass that content will be delivered more and more through student computers?
• Flash memory - bigger and better and more functional as more and more apps will be launchable from flash drives. We are already seeing this with OpenSource and some commercially viable companies as well - such as Dolphin with their Pen.
• Electronic Medical Records (EMR) - maybe this won't impact us so much but it will touch our offices as access to student documentation will chance. And let me ask you this - how often are you tapped for assistance whenever someone else is having tech-issues?
• Fiber-to-the Home - the number of students taking on-line courses [and the number of courses themselves] continues to grow and this will definitely help speed this growth. How do our offices deal with the technology needs of these students - consider policies & procedures, support for hardware and software, 'in-class' provisions, and the like.
• Ajax [Asynchronous JavaScript + XML] - I'm still a little fuzzy on this (OK a lot fuzzy) but this I just wonder what impact this has on web access - if any?

Like I said - I am not sure if any of these will be anything we should concern ourselves about - but we should at least be aware of them. Unfortunately not every future trend bodes so well for society - as this lengthy treatise on Malware informs.

The Swivel Socket power strip

I still want a PowerSquid for myself - but this is kinda nifty. I just wish it didn't look so flimsy - but it would probably elicit a 'wow' or two with some no too heavy items plugged into it [such as lamps and phones] there ain't no way I am going to plug my computer into this.

Create an Indestructible Shared PC [Solutions from PC Magazine]

For those you us out there setting up workstations that students share - be they SWD specific or shared in labs and libraries - this handy bit of info from PC Magazine and Micrsoft may prove useful:

Schools, libraries, and other organizations often want to make computers available in public places. These can become tempting targets for hackers. Even well-intentioned users can wreak havoc by deleting important files or accidentally installing malware.

As for me - I'm double checking the workstations used by my front desk workstudy staff.

Mac Switches to Intel: What does this mean for us?

I'm a little fuzzy this - I have never claimed to be a know-it-all when it comes to computers and I am trying to figure what [if anything] the switch to Intel processors will mean for access technologies [specifically software applications]. I know someone out there will correct me on this should I be amiss.

From what I have read and heard, the switch to Intel chips should allow Macs to more efficiently run Windows programs than at present using Virtual PC. This should also be a 'native' process rather than having to install any sort of a bridge program. It is too early to tell what impact this will have on the AT market - but it should be a lively topic of conversation at ATIA [Assistive Technology Industry Association] in a couple of weeks. At least I hope it will get people talking - but with this industry - who knows? The main concern on the blogs and such centers around how current Mac software will behave on the new chips - this is especially of concern to the graphics crowd.

I have not used a Mac in years - my first personal computer being a Performa 636 that was well used and abused in grad school. But my workplace at the time [and all subsequent employers] used PC's with Windows. I also came to learn about what access technologies were available for both systems and it just made sense to have a home computer akin to my work computers.

Typically I get a bit anxious when students in need of technical assistance inform me they have a Mac. There simply is not as many options to assist them as there are for Windows - and those that are available tend to be second-rate afterthoughts. Fortunately there is at least a Mac based DAISY player [KatiePlayer] on the market for that particular outlet. I would provide details on how well this works but I honestly have not [as yet] done an install. We have only recently purchased a few copies of KatiePlayer from RFB&D and will be installing it on student Powerbooks for this semester. I am hoping that the switch to Intel will eventually allow any Windows based AT to be used on a Mac - that would be nice.

E-Book Program Expands [Wired Campus Blog]

For those with access to the CHE this article may be worth reading:

MBS Textbook Exchange Inc., of Columbia, Mo., the textbook distributor that is leading the project, announced that an additional 30 bookstores at colleges across the country will start selling as many as 400 digital textbooks. The distributor said the program it launched in the fall with five academic publishers at 10 college bookstores was a success.

I think our mantra needs to be a phrase I came up with in a meeting on the topic recently while trying to explain to some of the powers above me what it is I do in front of all those computers each day - Digital does NOT mean Accessible.

There is also an article in the January issue of Campus Technology with a brief - yet information - update on Electronic Publishing of the eJournal and peer review variety.

Campus Technology 2006 Poster Session Reminder

Just a reminder - the deadline for Poster Session proposals to Campus Technology 2006 is January 26th. Here is a quick and easy opportunity for us to get the ATHEN name and our profession out there. If you will be in the Boston area at the time of the conference it may be worth checking out. I have started getting Campus Technology via the free subscription and found it to be worth reading.

Here is my presentation proposal - I plan on creating a flow chart of the DAISY process from start to finish [from student request through the finished product]. Actually this is something I have already done to some degree as BU is startin to take a serious look at our procedures for providing digital formats to SWD's. This has been especially good for me as I have been forced to move a lot of information out of my head and on to paper. It dawned on me and my boss that should I be struck down by a T-train tomorrow a wealth of information would be lost.

Title
More Than Meets the Eye (and Ear): A Primer of Alternate-Format Text Production

Brief description suitable for publication
Each semester nearly two-hundred-thousand college students with disabilities request textbooks and other print materials in accessible digital formats. At the postsecondary level the responsibility of providing alternate format materials typically falls to Disability Support Services. Providing such accommodations requires extensive knowledge of specialized services as well as unique software and hardware solutions. This poster presentation maps the process of producing and disseminating accessible e-Text materials [particularly DAISY formats] including best practices and potential pitfalls.

Presenter bio suitable for publication
Daniel Berkowitz is the Assistant Director of Disability Services for Boston University, where he coordinates Alternate Format Text services and consults in the areas of adaptive and assistive technologies. Dann holds a Master's degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Connecticut and is working towards an Ed.D. through the Boston University School of Education. His research interests include creating technology training opportunities for postsecondary disability service providers and e-Text production best practices.

Any further information that might be helpful in determining the relevance of your topic to the conference
The advent of the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) in December 2006 will usher in a new era of K-12 textbook accessibility for special education students needing their learning materials in accessible alternate formats. Unfortunately, no comparable legislation exists at the postsecondary level and that which does (namely the Chafee Amendment and various provisions of the ADA) tends to confuse matters more than clarify responsibilities. It is one thing for a publisher to provide entire county or state school systems with digital formats of textbooks as part of the bidding process, but far less appealing (or legislatively supported) for them to do the same at the postsecondary level. Though a positive advancement for K-12 education, NIMAS seems to be setting up for disappointment a generation of students raised on broadband and podcasts who will anticipate at least the same level of digital access when they move on to college - and who may find such a level of service is not readily available.
More and more it will fall upon postsecondary education disability service providers to produce alternate formats of textbooks and other materials as an in-house responsibility. Fortunately, however, advances in software and hardware – and most especially in standardized formats such as DAISY – should make providing such services more functional and effective. However, it is imperative that personnel and departments serving the needs of students with disabilities, especially where legal issues such as copyright clash with handicap access, do not operate in a vacuum. Campus entities with whom Disabled Student Services coordinate need to have a shared knowledge of the procedures and policies around these issues. Though a poster presentation such as this cannot be all encompassing, it is the presenters desire to provide conference attendees with a general, yet solid, background of information on these issues.

Optimus keyboard [coming for real]

I had heard about this keyboard back in July and took a 'I'll believe it when I see it' stance. Well, according to the sites that are tracking the goings on at the 2006 CES we will be seeing it on February 1st. Price estimates are in the $200-$300 dollar range - but knowing how quickly copies rise and prices fall for technology - it won't be long before that changes.

The keys themselves are OLED and can be programmed to visually represent 'shortcuts' and change depending upon the program being run. For those of us who want to be Gaeir shortcut disciples but lack the grey-matter to remember keyboard commands this may be our net.

If nothing else, I love the sense of humor displayed [pardon the pun] on the FAQ page.

Textbooks to be rented at college

Southwestern College's bookstore and student government have found a way to cut the price of textbooks by about 80 percent by renting them. For the spring semester, the college's bookstore will make five top sellers available for rent.

How's that gonna mess up the alt-format text pocedures? Think about it - what happens when all the students start renting textbooks but the student needing alt-format has to buy theirs? A sticky-wicket to be sure.

SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Education -- Textbooks to be rented at college

Imation Flash Wristband

Another "gotta-get-me-one-o'-those" items for the Amazon wishlist - but it looks like I will be able to pick one up at the local Target. I picked up on this via my Slashdot RSS feed and cute as it is what I find more interesting is that this product was introduced at the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show less than two days ago and when googled this morning returned several thousand hits - 'tis amazing how fast information spreads. Nevertheless - Imation has some catching up to do in the USB Fashion Accessory Market.

Windows Vista Home Page

Didn't we just get a handle on XP? I am going to have to do some poking around and post on this later.

Free online file storage/sending

Earlier this year I became familiar with YouSendIt, a free eWebMail-based file sending service. If you have ever hadone of your AMX finds blocked by campus firewalls and the like than this information is for you. Herein is a list of 50 similar services that are free and require no eMail registration. The poster has graciously included file size limits, download limits and the amount of time the file remains on the server for pickup. Caveat Emptor - typical for web-based companies (and discount airlines) there is no guarantee that any of these will be around tomorrow.

Time to check: Are you using the right blogging tool?

Blogs are moving inward from the fringe as more and more people find uses for them beyond the personal diary and/or workplace rant. They are finding their way into academia as a teaching tool - especially for writing and collaboration - and not just for those at the head of the class and/or doing research. More and more educators at all levels are finding uses for blogs to get their students writing, sharing, communicating and learning. It may sound hokey - but how often have we heard of the need for students to write more - especially students for whom writing may be their greatest challenge?

Blogs can get students to write more - to unwittingly practice their writing under the cover of keeping a journal of their academic endeavors over the course of a semester or year. The adage ‘practice makes perfect’ may be stretching a bit as far as blogs are concerned – but practice does improve and perhaps more important – practice confounds fear. It has been my experience that simply keeping a blog [or two] has lessened some of the trepidation I feel every time I put my hands on a keyboard. Whether it’s a memo to my boss or a paper I am writing for class, I feel both more relaxed and confident since I have been blogging. It’s kind of like hitting the gym regularly – flexing those muscles a little bit at a time keeps them in tune for when they are needed most.

But where do you start? As blogging has become more common the number of free & on-line blogging tools has increased proportionally. Picking blog software can be confusing and frustrating if you do not know what to look for. Though far from complete - this comparison chart will give you a feel for what's available and what may work best for you. [FYI - the blog you are reading right now uses Blogger]