Alternate Media

Course materials may be converted into various formats in order to provide equal access to one’s educational materials. Examples of common formats includes: accessible PDF, DAISY, ePub, tagged Microsoft Word, Braille, or tactile graphics.

Eligibility Requirements

Services are available to students who have documentation of disabilities with functional limitations which impact a student’s ability to access printed material.

Submit Your Alternate Media Request

Complete and Submit the online Alternate Media Request Form

Before Purchasing Your Books

Before purchasing your hard-copy books consider instead purchasing accessible digital books from the SSU Bookstore or Vital Source ebooks with read-aloud features

• You will have immediate access to digital or ebook content, no conversion waiting time
• ePubs (ebooks ending in .epub) work with Read&Write ePub Reader for reading aloud
• Vital Source eTextbooks(reflowable version recommended) support a wide range of features, including notes, highlights, text-to-speech, bookmarking, flashcards syncing across devices, and more.
• When buying ebooks look for accessibility features such as Text-to-Speech enabled, Screen Reader Supported, Enhanced typesetting Enabled
• Check the SSU library for free access to ebooks

Alternate Media Request Guidelines

1. Students must submit textbook information and proof-of-purchase using the online Alternate Media Request Form.
2. Students must be currently registered with Disability Services for Students (DSS) in order to request alternate media services.
3. Eligibility for alternate media service is determined by the DSS staff and is based upon the professional documentation provided by the student who has "a disability that prevents him/her from using standard instructional materials." This professional documentation is typically submitted by the student upon their initial registration with DSS.
4. Alternate media services must be requested each semester as needed.
5. Students must be currently enrolled and/or finishing an incomplete in the course for which they are requesting alternate media services.
6. Students requesting textbooks in alternate media must own the material or the material has been purchased on the student’s behalf.
7. Once a request is approved, the DSS staff’s recommendation with student preference will be used to determine the specific alternate media format.
8. If DSS is converting textbooks and materials to alternate media, those textbooks and materials will be cut for scanning purposes and will be re-bound before being returned to the student.
9. Alternate media requests must be submitted as soon as the student learns of his/her need. Late requests will be honored in the order that they are received and may cause a delay in receiving the alternate media materials.
10. Regarding class handouts, students must initially ask the professor to provide the handouts (including syllabi) by Canvas, Google Drive, email, or another electronic format, if available.
    • Please first try downloading handouts in an alternative format with Ally, a tool in Canvas
    • For SSU Library articles/ebooks in Proquest, first, enable the accessibility mode then use Read&Write or a screen-reader
11. The alternate media material is copyrighted. It may not be reproduced or distributed in any other format. Students will be provided with one alternate media copy for each material required for academic use. Any further reproduction or distribution is considered copyright infringement. Misuse of this material will result in disciplinary action