CONVERSION/ALTERNATE MEDIA SERVICES PROCEDURE

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DSC Student Responsibilities

Authorization is required by a DSC Counselor and the Media Specialist before utilizing CAM services. Student is therefore response for confirming their eligibility for use of this accommodation.

The following steps are designed to assist DSC 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 DSC student, utilize priority registration to determine your course schedule in advance and provide DSC with advance notification of CAM service needs.

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. Alternatively, you may also want to consider contacting the UCI Bookstore for this information as well.

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 in alternate format (books-on-tape, DAISY, etc.) directly from RFB&D.

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

Step 4 — Purchase your course book(s) or other instructional material(s)
A need for alternative media accommodations does not eliminate the personal responsibility of all students to acquire a copy of the course book or instructional materials they request to be converted into alternate format(s). With exception of  course book or instructional material that is available in an alternate format from Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, or the National Library of Congress, you must have ownership of the course book or other instructional material in which you are requesting an alternate media format. Verified student purchase of course books  allows DSC to provide CAM services.

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 DSC 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 DSC, 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 DSC has possession of your textbook or other instructional materials for purposes of creating alternative media, DSC will make arrangements to provide you a duplicate of that portion of the textbook or instructional materials you anticipate needing during the time DSC 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 Irvine students are required to establish and utilize a uci.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 with StudentAccess.

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 DSC - Alternative Media Services of any problems with the alternative media that is provided to you. DSC will investigate the reported problem and take appropriate steps to resolve the problem.