ALL MATERIALS ARE BEING DISTRIBUTED VIA BOX.

If you are an instructor and want to know more about accessible materials for your course, please contact dres-accessible-media@illinois.edu

Alternate Media Production, also known as Text-Conversion, provides print materials in converted formats such as Word, EPub, PDF, and audio to qualified students of the University of Illinois. In accordance with federal law, as agents of the University, all instructors are required to make all classroom materials available to students with disabilities at the same time that it is made available to all other students.

1. Student Requirements
2. Courses with E-Reserves and Web-Based Materials
3. Optional materials
4. Rental Books
5. Due dates
6. Archived materials
7. Alternate Formats Available
8. HathiTrust

Student Requirements

• In order to maintain the integrity of the services offered in accordance with the law, the following rules apply to students who AMS Alternate Media Format services.
• Students must complete the AMS Alternate Media Format contract with their Access Specialist.
• The student must qualify as having a disability that is covered by 2 U.S.C. Section 135a; 46 Stats. 1487.
• The student must currently be registered at the University of Illinois at the time of the student's request for services.
• Materials for a qualified graduate students, who are teaching a class will also be converted, provided that a syllabus with due dates is provided.
• Students agree to keep their usernames and passwords private, and also agree they will not copy or reproduce any Alternative Media materials received, nor allow anyone else to do so.
• Students who have their books paid for by DHS will need to sign a form giving DRES permission to share your UIN with the Illini Union Bookstore.  You may print it and bring it our office, email it back to dres-accessible-media@illinois.edu or fax it to our office at 217-244-0014.
• It is the student's responsibility to notify AMS of course changes. 

Sharing of materials that have been produced solely for a student with a print disability will be reported to the appropriate campus personnel, as this is a violation of the Student Code of Conduct and Copyright Law.

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Courses with web-based materials

Many courses include web-based materials (e.g., Compass2g, Blackboard, Moodle) that might contain pdf's and PowerPoint presentations that are not readily accessible to students with screen readers. In cases where that information is known prior to the start of the semester, AMS staff will try to obtain the materials so that they can be converted prior to the start of the semester.  In those cases where it is not possible, it becomes the students responsibility to obtain the materials from the instructor, or download them from the internet and forward them to the AMS staff for conversion.  AMS staff is not responsible for monitoring individual course sites for new postings.

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Optional materials

Optional materials are handled like any other course materials.  They must be listed by the professor for a course.  We will also convert journal articles or book chapters that are necessary for research papers for courses, but the student must deliver the materials to AMS to be converted.

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Rental Books

Students may submit rental books for conversion; however, files must be deleted from the student’s computer at the time the rental expires (e-book expire or return of hard copy). The misuse of these electronic files could result in the loss of e-text services, as well as referral to the Dean of Students.

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Due dates

• It is our goal to have materials that have been brought to the AMS by the stated deadline for each semester, converted and ready at the start of the semester.  Any books or articles brought in after the stated deadline will be put into a queue and converted on a first come/first serve basis.
• Students who begin the process for Alternative Material Services after the semester has started will have their materials converted from the point at which they begin during the semester.  Materials will not be retroactively converted.
• Converting highly technical material into Braille or tactile graphics will typically require more time and will most likely be outsourced to be completed. Completion time will be based on the outsourcing company’s schedule. These materials should be given at least 6-8 weeks for completion.

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Archived materials

The Accessible Media Services Office agrees to provide materials in an electronic format for the semester that the student is enrolled in class. Previous semester's materials are not archived and will be removed from Box accounts one week following finals each semester. 

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Alternate Formats Available

• Word (.docx)
• Adobe Portable Document Format (.pdf)
• E-Pub
• Large print
• MathML
• Kindle/E-book

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HathiTrust

HathiTrust is a partnership of academic & research institutions, offering a collection of millions of titles digitized from libraries around the world.

• Students can search for material utilizing the Hathi Trust database.
• If materials are needed to be converted from the Hathi Trust, please contact dres-accessible-media@illinois.edu and AMS will be able to download and convert them.
• Alternative media material checked out from the Hathi Trust must be deleted from your computer when the regular library material expires.

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Non-Student Alternate Media Production

DRES will charge departments $50/hr for conversion of teaching material for courses as well as research material for faculty and staff needing accessible documentation. If the department needs to use separate accounts for the material being converted, it is the departments responsibility to give DRES the billing information for each type of material. Departments will be charged at the end of the quarter. Rates for AMS services for non-student related work can be located on the DRES Billing (Non-Student) page.

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