Alternate Media Accommodation

Sometimes the original format of a printed textbook or electronic document is not easily readable or usable by students with a print disability. An alternate format would then be needed in order for the student to read and study without barriers. Alternate Media services converts and/or reformats course content, such as printed textbooks or electronic documents, to a format that is accessible and usable by students using assistive technology. This is a request based service for eligible students registered with the ACCESS office at Moorpark College who have been approved for Alternate Media services.

Requests for printed textbooks and/or electronic documents to be converted to an alternate format will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The ACCESS Alternate Media Specialist will review the request and attempt to provide the format specified by the student. However, if the original requested format is unavailable, alternatives will be discussed with the student. 

• Embossed (printed in Braille)
• Braille Ready Format (BRF)

• Bookshare
• Kurzweil 3000
• Microsoft Word
• PDF

1. Students should submit their Alternate Media requests using the Alternate Media request form and meet with the Alternate Media Specialist as soon as possible, preferably at the time of registration. Every effort will be made to fulfill alternate media requests in a timely manner. An early request helps to ensure this.

2. Students should notify the Alternate Media Specialist, Shirley Ruiz (805-553-4835), immediately of any changes to their academic schedule and alternate media requests and/or needs. This includes adding or dropping classes and changing sections of a class.

3. In compliance with copyright laws, students must possess a copy of each textbook requested. Proof of purchase or proof of ownership is required. A physical receipt from the Moorpark College Bookstore or an email confirmation from online store can be emailed to Alternate Media Specialist or brought in person. Any exception to this will be discussed with the student.

4. Students will not copy, reproduce, share, or distribute any alternate materials provided by ACCESS, nor allow anyone else to do so, or it will be considered an infringement of copyright law and may result in termination of the Alternate Media accommodation or disciplinary action.

5. Students will not share licenses for or use of specialized software provided to the student as a part of their alternate media accommodation.

6. It is the student's responsibility to provide the Alternate Media Specialist with all syllabi and/or schedules of readings, and to provide notice of any changes made by instructors.

 

All efforts will be made to ensure alternate media requests are provided in a timely manner, most times within 10 business days. However, some requests may exceed 10 business days depending on the conversion / formatting needs. In this case alternate media files will be provided based on the reading order listed on the syllabus.

1. Submit alternate media requests in a timely manner using the Alternate Media request form, which includes the Policies and Procedure agreement 

2. Provide proof of purchase, if required, and other necessary information

• requests will be reviewed and email sent if more information is needed
• an email will be sent with update and progress on request(s)
• requests will be delivered via Kurzweil 3000, DropBox or OneDrive

3. Maintain communication through your student email address

For textbook requests, proof of purchase or proof of ownership is required. Proof of purchase or ownership can be physical receipts from the bookstore, email confirmation for online purchases, or library rental slip.

For course documents and free materials provided from instructor(s) or available online in the current semester, proof of purchase is not required, unless purchase was required to obtain. When submitting a document conversion request, be sure to email the documents to the Alternate Media Specialist.

 

Once an alternate media request and proof of purchase is received, the Alternate Media Specialist will work with publishers and other sources to obtain electronic files. This is typically referred to as the research process and varies from one to five days depending on publishers response time.

Once electronic files are received, the files are assessed and produced in an appropriate format for the student. This is typically referred to as the production process and varies from three to ten days.

Be sure to provide the course syllabus as it supports the production process in ensuring chapters are completed in the order outlined for the course and ensures timeliness.

The timeliness of alternate media requests is of the utmost importance! All efforts will be made to ensure alternate media requests are provided in a timely manner, most times within 10 business days. However, some requests may exceed 10 business days depending on publisher response time and the conversion / formatting needs of the request. In these cases, the alternate media specialist will prioritize alternate media production based on the reading order listed in the syllabus to ensure students do not experience a disruption their course reading schedule.

Alternate Media is individualized for the ACCESS student it is provided to and is for their educational use only. Do not copy, reproduce or distribute the Alternative Media to anyone else. Distribution of the Alternative Media may result in termination of Alternate Media services or disciplinary action.