SETTING UP AN ALTERNATE FORMAT PRODUCTION

SYSTEMBy Robert Lee Beach

Assistive Technology SpecialistKansas City Kansas Community

College

Things to consider

Scalability

Timeliness

Quality

Determine the need

Evaluate the institutionEvaluate the student population

Evaluate the institution

How is your institution structured and what section are you responsible for

What are the major/popular areas of study

Are there lots of research materials needed

Is the institution a resident or non-resident facility

Institution (continued)

Are there popular study and/or hang-out areas for students

What technology services are available, especially network systems

What is the institution’s schedule (semester or quarter)

Evaluate the student population

What disability groups do you serve

What are the numbers of students you serve that “could” need alternate text

What are the study habits of your students

do they study on campus or at home

do they study in groups or alone

Students (continued)

Do students tend to have their own technology (laptops)

Is there a format that students currently ask for

Select the types of alternate formats to provide

Auditory

Visual

Tactile

A combination

Explore the many alternate format options available

Audio CDAudio files (MP3)Braille (hard copy or electronic files)DAISY (audio only, text only, text/audio)Kurzweil filesLarge printTactile materialsWYNN files

Evaluate the options for source files

Publisher files

Word

PDF

Scanned in-house

Publisher files

Can be Word or PDF

Can take a while to receive

Will not require an expensive scanner

Word files are usually very messy and require lots of editing

PDF files will require OCR software (ABBYY or Omni)

Scanned in-house

Can obtain almost immediately

More control over quality

Requires an expensive scanner

Requires OCR software (ABBYY or Omni)

Have to cut a book (who pays for it)

Visit other places

Visit institutions that are producing similar formats

What are they doingHow did they get there

Enroll in the AHEAD E-Text Institute

Join the Alternate Media list from HTCTU

Select your computer system(s)

Lots of storage space

On hard drive

On external drives

On a network

Lots of memory

Computer System (continued)

Two large monitors

Very fast processor

A backup system

Lots of USB ports

CD/DVD burner drive

SDHC card slots

Select your production software

Adobe Acrobat Professional (PDF editing software)

OCR package

ABBYY FineReader

Omni Page Professional

Text file editing software

Microsoft Office

Open Office

Production Software (continued)

Text file to audio file conversion

Text-To-Audio

Text Aloud

Audio CD burner software

Built into Text-To-Audio and Text Aloud

Nero

Roxio

Production Software (continued)Braille translation software

Duxbury Braille Translator

Braille 2000

Tiger Translator

DAISY generator/converter softwareDolphin Producer (conversion tool)

Dolphin Publisher (publishing tool)

eClipse Writer Personal (conversion tool)

eClipse Writer Professional (publishing tool)

DAISY Pipeline

Production Software (continued)

Kurzweil 3000Tactile image production software

Adobe Illustrator

Tiger translation software

WYNN Wizard

Select the production hardware and other equipment

Book cutting and binding equipmentScannerHigh-speedFull duplexGood page handlingLarge page capacityColorCD/DVD duplicators

Equipment (continued)Braille embosser

Interpoint capabilityWide page handlingExamples

Juliet Pro 60Tiger (many models)Index (several models)

PrinterAuto duplexingLarge format would be nice

Are there other areas on campus with this equipment that you can share

MISC. furniture

Computer tables and work chairs

Lockable Storage cabinets for books, CD/DVDs, etc.

Location/Space

Develop your work flowProcedures for students to request books

Will they request via online form or in person

Does request go to alt format personnel or DSS advisor

How will requests be tracked and reported

What resources will be explored (RFB&D, Bookshare, etc.)

Process for obtaining source filesWill student, advisor, or alt format personnel

request

How will they be received and tracked

Work Flow (continued)File management system

File formats to use

Folder structures for holding files

File naming system

Backup schedule

Process for cutting and rebinding books

Procedures for scanning books

Procedures for running the OCR process

Standards and practices for editing the text files

Standards and practices for generating the alternate format

Audio files

Audio CDs

Hard copy Braille or electronic Braille files

DAISY books

Kurzweil or WYNN files

Large print

Tactile images

Procedures for distributing the final product

Web-based distribution

Student pickup system

Policies for archivingfinished projects

Where to keep them

How long to keep them

Who can have access

Determine who will do the work

Full-time staff position

Part-time staff position

Shared staff position

Student workers

Combination

Setup the physical work area

Make it effective and efficientMake it comfortableMake it attractive