Guidelines for Alternative Media Service

Student Responsibilities

The following steps are designed to assist DSP in providing you with timely and effective Alternative Media Services through cooperation, good communication, and advance notice. Failure to follow these steps may result in a delay in receiving alternative media materials.

 

Planning and preparation for your alternative media needs (steps 1 — 3)

Step 1 — Utilize priority enrollment to sign up for classes
As a DSP student, you receive priority enrollment so that you are able to predict your course schedule in advance and are able to provide DSP with advance notification of alternative media needs. Don't miss this important opportunity to inform DSP as soon as possible about the course materials you'll need.

Step 2 — Contact the course instructor/department in advance for reading lists
Contact the course instructor/department as soon as you are enrolled in the course to find out what books and/or instructional materials are required.

Step 3 — Check availability of the textbook in an alternative format
Check to see if the textbook or instructional material is available in an alternative format from Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D), and the National Library of Congress.

If you are a client of the Department of Rehabilitation or other state equivalent, and have an RFB&D account established as part of your educational plan, you may order your books-on-tape directly from RFB&D.

 

Work on alternative media requests will not begin until steps 4 — 8 are completed

Step 4 — Purchase your textbook or other instructional material
A need for alternative media accommodations does not eliminate the personal responsibility of all students to acquire a copy of the textbook or instructional materials they wish to use and to provide verification of purchase to DSP. With exception of a textbook or instructional material that is available in an alternative format from Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, or the National Library of Congress, you must have ownership of the textbook or other instructional media in which you are requesting an alternative media format. Your purchase of the textbook allows DSP to request e-texts from the various publishers.

Step 5 — Submit your request for Alternative Media Services
Submit your request form as soon as you learn what book and/or instructional material is required. Provide accurate and complete information for each request. A late, inaccurate or incomplete request increases the risk of a delay in providing you with media in an alternative format.

Step 6 — Submit verification of the reading requirements for your course
Provide verification of required reading for the course. Either a course syllabus that documents the required reading for the course, or a letter from the course instructor that specifies the required course reading for the course. If due dates for assigned reading assignments are not otherwise specified, you are asked to provide your best estimate of a reading schedule for the text and/or instructional material. This is so DSP can prioritize the order in which it creates the alternative media, and also so that it does not spend time creating alternative media that you do not need or plan to use.

Step 7 — Provide your textbook or other instructional material to Alternative Media Services
Upon notification from DSP, provide the textbook or other instructional material that needs to be scanned. If the material being scanned is a book, the book will be cut into separate pages for rapid scanning, and then re-bound and returned to you. During the time DSP has possession of your textbook or other instructional materials for purposes of creating alternative media, DSP will make arrangements to provide you a duplicate of that portion of the textbook or instructional materials you anticipate needing during the time DSP has possession of the original textbook or instructional materials.

Step 8 — Copyright protection
In many cases you may be required to sign a copyright letter that satisfies the publisher's legal requirements for the use of its product, whether in e-text or other format, e.g., Braille.

 

Communication & Coordination (steps 9 — 12)

Step 9 — Keep your contact information up-to-date
All UC Berkeley students are required to establish a berkeley.edu e-mail address. Students are responsible for keeping the address current and for regularly monitoring their e-mail for official communications from the University. Be sure to keep your contact information up-to-date in Bear Facts.

Step 10 — Notification of changes
Whenever alternative media has been requested, immediately notify your Disability Specialist of any changes in your reading requirements, or course enrollment status.

Step 11 — Notification of problems
Promptly inform DSP - Alternative Media Services of any problems with the alternative media that is provided to you. DSP will investigate the reported problem and take appropriate steps to resolve the problem.

Step 12 — Pick-up and return alternative media materials
The turn-around time for alternative media materials is determined on a case-by-case basis. You can check the status of your alternative media request on-line via your DSP student portal.

Books ordered through RFB&D, or the National Library of Congress on DSP's institutional account are to be returned to DSP no later than the last day of each semester.