Access to Academic Materials for Post-Secondary Students with Print Disabilities

DISABILITY SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS’ SUBMISSIONS

W. Ross MacDonald School (May 2004)

To achieve the most efficient results possible in the ordering/delivery and receipt of alternate format text material, the Transcription Steering Committee, along with representatives of the W. R. MacDonald School (WRMS) in Brantford, recommend the following best practices be followed.

Contacts

The following items suggested for contacts should assist RSL to expedite the delivery or conversion of text in a more expedient manner. Should any of these processes not be followed, contacts can be reasonably assured of delays in the processing of textbook requests.

  1. Institutional contacts should provide ALL complete and accurate information including:
    • full name of text
    • full name of author
    • proper edition
    • ISBN
    • location of text if
    • date required desired format is already available
    • required format
    • copy of text to be transcribed
    • complete name, address, membership number of requesting student
    • tapes rewound before returning - with inserts included
  2. Contacts to return faxes/phone calls in a timely fashion when reply is necessary concerning student requests.
  3. Contact should provide student’s name/ when returning material.
  4. Establish a consistent contact person with RSL.
  5. Inform RSL immediately of any contracts cancelled with producers.
  6. Search every possible source for required text material prior to submitting order.
  7. Provide a list of which chapters of the text are required at the outset of the term to ensure producers can convert and deliver the required text in a timely fashion.

WRMS

The following are a list of practices that should be followed by RSL. If any of these fail to be observed by RSL, delays in the processing of orders may occur. Contacts should consult with the manager at WRMS and/or the chair of the Transcription Steering Committee:

  1. RSL should inform contacts if material/requests are/not available and an approximate delivery date.
  2. RSL should provide to contacts a comprehensive list of suppliers of alternate text.
  3. RSL should ensure that all tapes are marked with inserts.
  4. RSL to notify contacts of/when procedures are not followed.

Producers

To further enhance the transcription of text not already available from other the sources, RSL recommends producers comply with the following procedures. Any deviation from these can result in the ability of RSL to facilitate orders in a timely manner:

  1. Producers should send inserts/indexes with material as it is produced.
  2. Producers should notify RSL of what material has been produced and shipped directly to the student.
  3. Producers should notify RSL when the order has been completed and shipped.
  4. Producers should inform RSL whenever cancellations have been requested by the contact.
  5. When invoicing producers should notify RSL what material has been shipped direct to the student and what has been sent to the contact.
  6. Producers should notify RSL as to the total number of volumes required for the completion of the text conversion.

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