How Students with a Print Disability Can Access PRCVI’s
Audiotape and E-Text Collection
The Provincial Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired (PRCVI) has, for many years,
made available its collection of nearly 1,700 audiotape titles to students with
a print disability.
With Ministry of Education approval, PRCVI can now make available, on a partial
cost-recovery basis, our constantly growing collection of over 400 Electronic
Text (E-Text) titles to students with a print disability. E-Text is a recent
development in alternate format transcription.
PRCVI produces E-Text by scanning a print textbook and processing the resulting
graphic image through optical character recognition (OCR) software to create
digital text representation. The resulting text file (E-Text) is checked for
accuracy and corrected. The E-Text file is readable by most common word
processors including MS Word and Word Perfect and adaptive literacy software
such as Kurzweil. E-Text does not include the graphics in the original textbook
(pictures, diagrams and charts) although a text description of each graphic is
generally provided. E-text is also not a
“talking book”; the student’s computer would have to have
adaptive text to speech software. The most
comprehensive software program recommended for BC students with a print
disability is Kurzweil 3000 and it can be purchased through the Provincial
Software Acquisition Program http://www.setbc.org/psap/. Text Aloud (with AT & T voices) is
another text to speech software program that can be used http://sites.brightmarket.com/nextup/product/textaloud.
Advantages of using E-Text over analog audiotapes with students who have print
disabilities may include:
- potential for improved literacy skills,
- increased independence and efficiency in accessing information and reduced
cost.
- The cost recovery price for one E-Text title will be:
$35.00 per CD and most titles are on one CD. - The cost recovery price for one Audiotape title will remain the
same:
$8.00 per cassette - Textbooks may vary from 1-40 cassettes.
A Catalogue of
the Print Disability Services Audiotape and E-Text titles available for
ordering can be found at: http://www.prcvi.org/printdisability/.
Select the link under Online Catalogue, E-text and Tape titles available for
cost-recovery access. Enter the required title or author and, if PRCVI has
produced the title, bibliographic information pertaining to it will appear on
the screen.
It has recently come to our attention that some school districts are having
difficulties accessing the PRCVI website and catalogues. These problems are
often a result of Blocking Software installed by the school and / or school
district systems administrators. If you are unable to access our website,
please contact the appropriate systems person within your school or district to
adjust the Blocking Software to allow an exception for the PRCVI website.
For questions regarding access to the Students with Print Disability Online
Catalogue, please contact Susan Hannigan, PRCVI Library Systems Coordinator at
(604) 269-2206, or by email at shannigan@prcvi.org.
For questions regarding the availability of Audiotape or E-Text titles or
student registration status, please contact Rochelle Gatus, PRCVI
Production Clerk at (604) 269-2208, or by email at rgatus@prcvi.org
If you have any students with print disabilities who
have not been registered for PRCVI services, please complete the Certification
for Eligibility for Print Disability Services application form. This form and
the Request for Purchase of Audiobook and / or E-Text Order form can be
downloaded from our website at: http://www.prcvi.org/printdisability/
under the section "Online Forms".
This expansion of service, to provide students with a print disability access
to PRCVI’s E-Text collection, will be monitored over the next year and a
review on pricing and impact will follow.
Sincerely,
Fred Poon
Manager
Copyright restrictions prohibit the duplication of these alternate format
materials or their use by anyone other than students with a print disability.