Text Conversion Office Procedures and Other Things to Know

The Text Conversion Office (TCO) is the designated unit of the Division of Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES) responsible for providing course materials in alternative formats to UIUC students with documented disabilities.

How To Obtain Text Conversion Services

The student's Resource Facilitator (RF) must first determine that text conversion services are an appropriate accommodation, and what format would possibly be the most helpful.

The student is then referred for Assistive Technology training, if appropriate.

The student will also meet with the Text Conversion staff. At this time, policies and procedures, and the student's role in the process is explained. A TCO Policy and Final Format Agreement (PDF) is signed by the student to ensure that all converted files are used solely by the student with a disability, and states what alternative format will be received by the student.

The student should be prepared to submit copies of their current class schedule, if they have it, and also syllabi for courses that they wish to have materials converted. If the student has not registered for courses yet, then they should send their schedule to Text Conversion at their earliest convenience.

Students will use their netid and netid password if they will be accessing their materials via the web. Written instructions on how to access their converted materials from the website will also be given at that time.

Formats and Delivery Methods

Formats currently offered by the Text Conversion Office are:

• Adobe .pdf
• Text .txt
• MP3
• Large Print
• Braille
• Tactile Graphics
• see sample text, pdf, and mp3 formats

It is important to note that while electronic textbooks and other course materials are a tremendous help in accessing course materials, there are times when other methods must be employed by students in order to gain access to materials that cannot be converted in a timely manner. Subjects that have a lot of graphics and equations, such as math, economics, and some sciences cannot convert adequately enough to be well understood by a screen reader. In those instances, it would be appropriate to explore alternative methods to access the material.

Other Important Items To Know

COURSES WITH WEB-BASED MATERIALS - many courses include materials that are web-based such as Blackboard, WebCT, etc., that might contain PowerPoint presentations that are not readily accessible to students with screen readers. The Text Conversion Office tries to ascertain early on whether or not a course uses these materials and will contact the student. If instructors cannot provide the materials to the Text Conversion Office prior to the 2nd week of class, it is the student's responsibility to download and send those items to the Text Conversion Office for document conversion. If a student finds that they cannot access web materials for a course, their Resource Facilitator (case manager) should be contacted as soon as possible so that a solution can be arrived at so that the materials can be accessed.

E-RESERVE ARTICLES - Text Conversion Staff will download e-reserve articles from the library website up until the 2nd week of class. In some instances, instructors may not give all articles to the library staff at the beginning of the semester, or they may add articles as the semester progresses. Text Conversion Staff will notify the student if there are items on the syllabus that are not on e-reserves at the time that it is noticed. After the 2nd week of class, it is the student's responsibility to monitor the e-reserves site and forward on any new articles that they wish to have converted.

OPTIONAL MATERIALS - Professors will often list optional textbooks or journal articles that can be read by the student if they choose. The student MUST inform the Text Conversion staff if they wish optional materials to be converted. We will, however, convert journal articles or book chapters that are necessary for research papers for courses, but the student must deliver the materials to the Text Conversion Office to be converted.

DUE DATES - It is the goal of the Text Conversion Staff to have materials converted at least 7 days prior to the Date Due on the course syllabus. This can only occur if a syllabus has been received by either the instructor or the student. Materials are converted sequentially by due date. Materials brought in during the course of the semester should either be on the syllabus or, in the case of research materials, will be converted usually within 1 week of the date it was delivered. Books and other materials that do not have a syllabus cannot be guaranteed of a due date.

WEB MATERIALS - The Text Conversion Office agrees to provide materials in an electronic format for the semester that the student is enrolled in class. The TCO does not maintain a web archive of past course materials, and will remove course materials from the website at the end of every semester, with the exception of graduate students who make prior arrangements to have their materials remain on the site.