EASI Webinar on E-Text Initiatives

Ron Stewart recently present an extremely comprehensive and interesting Webinar all about current E-Text initiatives taking place at all grades, and all levels, and from many sides. This was hosted by the good folks of EASI: Equal Access to Software and Information.

In November, EASI will do 2 presentations about different DAISY players. They hope to get someone from NLS to talk about their coming e-text books. They would like to have a running series on all things E-Text for the next several months. If you have any suggestions or would like to offer to present, drop Norm and Dick a line.

EASI contacts:
(949) 916-2837 (Note Pacific time zone)
E-mail: info@easi.cc
Norman Coombs, Ph.D.CEO, EASI
Richard BanksCIO, EASI

E-Text in Maryland is Back in the Spotlight

I tend to keep up with the goings on in Maryland because I grew up there and still have friends and family in the area. Last year a bill was filed that would require NIMAS files be provided for college students as well as K-12. It was vetoed by the Governor. Now a new push is on for similar legislation.

I like this article from the Baltimore Sun because it really lays out the difficulties faced by students in a matter of fact tone. For example, the intern interviewed for this story "had to drop a 17th-century British literature course two weeks before the first 10-page paper was due. His professor had selected a more than 1,000-page anthology as the textbook, but not indicated what sections were required." How well we feel his pain -- whether a visually impaired individual or a service provider.

What we are also familiar with are the misconceptions that one-size fits all language will convey the proper message. From the article: "People keep calling this 'the blind bill,'" [the sponsor]said. "Electronic and audio texts help students with dyslexia, learning disabilities and a whole host of other diseases that weaken eyesight. ... Coining this a Braille textbook bill narrows the scope and the population that it would help, and is a good strategy to try and kill it."

NIMAS in Maryland

From the listservs - thanks to Robert Martinengo of the ATPC who writes:

There has been some interesting maneuvering in the state of Maryland regarding accessible textbooks. A bill was introduced that would require NIMAS files be provided for college students as well as K-12. However, that language was amended last week and changed to this:

• AMENDMENT NO. 4
  On pages 4 and 5, strike in their entirety the lines beginning with line 26 on page 4 through line 7 on page 5, inclusive, and substitute:
  
  "SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That:
  (1) The Maryland Higher Education Commission and the Maryland Department of Disabilities shall review the research and recommendations developed by the Association of American Publishers’ National Alternative Formats Initiative regarding approaches and technologies to best provide textbooks to postsecondary students with print disabilities.
  
• Here is the link to the legislative site: BILL INFO-2006 Regular Session-SB 392
• Interesting to note that it has been cross-filed with SB 710

ATHEN President Ron Stewart chimed in on the list with the following:

There is a lot of this going on in a lot of states, Georgia, Utah, Maryland, South Dakota are the ones just off the top of my head. We are also seeing proposed four different tiers of legislation, k-12, k-14, CC only, and Postsecondary. As many can tell you bad facts make for bad law, and that is the way things are currently going with this myriad of different state laws, and the NFB proposing a national law that is Chaffee based. Which excludes, at least on the surface, many of your [postsecondary] students.

The Association of American Publishers National Alternative Formats Initiative is their name for their part of the AHEAD E-Text Initiative which I am leading. These changes that are being seen are probably the result of lobbying efforts on the parts of the AAP to have states give us some time to get something done, before we have 50+ different state laws and rules which will result in us ending up in court for a few years before any progress gets made.

AHEAD, and it's E-Text initiative is one of the partners in the AAP effort along with others in the Publishing, Advocacy and Service Provider community. I think it is great that the AAP has chosen to take this step, and hired a top notch person to lead it for them. The AAP effort is not part of the AHEAD effort, but a complimentary and separate initiative on the part of the AAP to develop a workable solution to the challenges of curricular access.