disability, dss

Alternate Format Textbooks

The Alternate Format Textbook Program assists students with print disabilities to obtain e-texts. For the purpose of this program, students with “print disabilities” are those who have:

  • visual disabilities
  • difficulty processing print due to a learning disability
  • difficulty with focus due to short term memory loss
  • difficulty physically handling books and/or turning pages

The Alternate Format Program is only available to students who are registered with DSS.

Determining which textbooks you need

Find out which books you require as soon as possible. The U of S Bookstore usually has information about textbooks prior to the start of the term.

If the Bookstore does not have books listed for your class/section, contact the instructor and ask for details about the textbooks that will be required. If you cannot find the instructor’s contact information, get in touch with the instructor’s departmental office. If there is no instructor yet assigned to the class/section you are enrolled in, ask for the department’s undergraduate chairperson, and explain your situation to that person.

It is important to start this process prior to the first day of classes, so that you can get your texts early in the term.

Using the Alternate Format Program

It is necessary to provide the Program with as much information about your textbook as possible. Please email dssaltformat@usask.ca with:

  • Course name, number, section (eg Eng 110 (17))
  • Instructor’s first and last names
  • Textbook information, including:
    • Title
    • Author
    • Edition
    • ISBN
    • Publisher
    • Where you bought the text
    • When you bought the text
    • Amount paid for the text

Once you have forwarded this information, the program co-ordinators will be in touch to advise you of the next steps.

Accessing study grant funding for alternate format materials

DSS advises that a student apply for $100 for each course s/he is registered in, to cover the cost obtaining e-texts. You are expected to submit the receipts and any unspent funding at the end of each April (the same procedure that you would use for tutoring services). If you run out of funds during the year, send in your receipts and request more funding.

Finding electronic texts yourself

Many textbooks are already available in electronic format and/or as audio books. To save yourself time and money, please do a search for the texts you require before contacting the Alternate Format Program.

  1. Start by searching for the titles you need. Google has scanned many textbooks, and their versions are searchable, which may be preferable to the non-searchable versions provided by publishers.
  2. Check amazon.com for electronic texts. Many publishers are selling e-texts for the same price as paper texts on amazon.com (please note that electronic texts are not available on amazon.ca).
  3. Gutenberg is a good source for texts that were published at least 100 years ago. If the text you require is not available in an electronic version, you must purchase a  paper copy. The Alternate Format Program will assist you in getting that text converted to electronic format. Buy the text and access the Alternate Format Program.

Other places to search for electronic texts

It is unlikely that you will find university textbooks at these sites, but they may have other books of interest to you.

Contact

For more information about the Alternate Format Program, please e-mail dssaltformat@usask.ca.

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