Guideline 5
Provide access to textbooks.
Accessible electronic and on-line textbooks can bridge the gap that often exists for students who require adapted textbooks, such as braille or audio recordings. While there are established braille production and tactile-graphic facilities that specialize in producing educational materials for blind children, major obstacles exist that force many students to begin class without the braille version of their books. These include last-minute decisions on what book will be used in class and the lack of availability of the electronic files needed to produce the braille version of the book. Math and science textbooks are among those most difficult to produce in braille. Too few transcribers are available with a knowledge of Nemeth code, the braille code for math. And the electronic files that publishers provide for some textbooks are not properly coded to translate mathematics automatically the way other text can be translated. This has led to a serious shortage of math and science books for blind students.
Some students do not use braille and instead use audiotaped books, which lack many features of both print and electronic books, such as the ability to quickly locate specific sections and to place bookmarks for future reference. In addition to providing these important features, an electronic textbook ensures that every student in class is using the same book, and everyone gets it on the first day of school. The suggestions specific to math and science in these guidelines make both software and textbooks more accessible and reduce the barriers to studying these subjects that students with disabilities currently face.
Checkpoint 5.1
Provide accessible electronic or on-line textbooks.
Technique 5.1.1
Mark up electronic or on-line textbooks properly.
Electronic and on-line textbooks are similar to Web sites in that they can be made accessible by using proper markup and, where appropriate, image descriptions. The following elements are commonly encountered in electronic and on-line textbooks may be made accessible using techniques found in other sections of this document:
- images
- image maps
- charts and graphs
- tables
- forms
- multimedia
- scientific or mathematical expressions
Additional accessibility features to use in an on-line textbook include:
- links for moving forward or backward by chapter, placed at the beginning and end of each page or section.
- links which move the user to the top of the page or beginning of a chapter.
- links that lead directly to the table of contents and/or index.
- search capability.
Technique 5.1.2
Make multimedia accessible in on-line textbooks.
Multimedia may be embedded in a textbook Web page or it may be launched in a separate, stand-alone player. Embedding a video or audio clip in a Web page can make for neater design, but some embedded players don't offer full keyboard access to caption or audio-description preferences, making it difficult for deaf or blind students to use these features. Some embedded players can't be controlled without a mouse, making them impossible for keyboard users to manipulate. Giving the user the option of launching a stand-alone player is often the safest way of presenting multimedia because users can more easily control the presentation.
Technique 5.1.3
Provide alternative presentations of electronic or on-line textbooks.
Hard copies of the textbook should be available for those who wish to read with magnifying hardware, and braille copies complete with tactile graphics should also be available. Once created, the brailled textbook can be made available through the publisher's distribution mechanism, through an arrangement made with the braille production facility or via the course instructor. Availability of brailled materials should be clearly documented on the Web site, including contact information. Brailled books should also be listed with the American Printing House for the Blind, a central source of information on how educators can locate accessible materials, listed in Appendix 1. Also see Appendix 1 for information on braille services.
When providing equivalent access via brailled textbooks or tactile graphics, consider timeliness. Ensure that the service provider receives the original materials as far in advance as possible. Depending on the subject matter, the length of the textbook and the complexity of the graphics, it may take up to several weeks to create the braille or tactile copies.