Receiving textbooks or course materials in an alternative format may be a reasonable accommodation for students who have vision, learning, or other disabilities which make accessing traditional printed materials difficult. Textbooks, class handouts and other materials may not be usable in their original form and thus need to be provided in alternative formats (ex., Braille, large print, electronic, etc.) as an academic accommodation.
Students with disabilities that impact access to printed material have a right to alternative formats of the materials that are not accessible. This includes not only textbooks, but also content and documents that are loaded into RVC’s Learning Management System – “Eagle” or made available within class sessions. Students must make timely requests and understand that it may take time to convert material for their accessibility needs; however, in general, after receiving specific requests made by qualified students, DSS will try to find the most usable format in the shortest amount of time.
Students can learn more about what types of alternative formats are available in the Explanations of Alternative Formats Guide.
The most frequently requested alternative format is electronic files (or E-Text). Electronic files can be converted into subsequent alternative formats such as MS Word documents, Daisy, Braille, etc. that allow users to access the content via a variety of means. Some students utiilze special software to allow them to magnify diagrams and small print, search documents and embed notes, have material printed out in large format, sent out for conversion to Braille, or have words read out loud. (See types of software in Chapter 7).
Students are responsible for contacting the DSS office regarding any questions or concerns they may have in relation to this accommodation
The DSS office will make every reasonable effort to ensure that students receive alternative format materials in a timely manner. To that end, students should understand that: