Alternative Format Request Policy and Procedures

In collaboration with instructors and partners across UC, Accessibility Resources supports the provision of accessible course materials, including services related to fulfilling student accommodations for Class Materials in Alternative Format.

Although the University of Cincinnati strives to offer accessible learning experiences, there may be times when course materials are not readily available in an accessible format that is compatible with specific assistive or adaptive technologies.

Students approved for the Class Materials in Alternative Format accommodation may request course materials (textbooks, journal articles, academic documents, etc.) in alternative formats.

• For textbooks, students can submit an Alternative Format Textbook Request Form
• For course materials, students can contact their instructor and Access Coordinator with specific requests, or request a consultation with an Accessibility Resources staff member to discuss concerns about and/or barriers to accessing course materials.

This page contains the following topics:

• Alternative Format Accommodation Policy
  • Eligibility
  • Request Guidelines
    • Terms of Use
    • Communication Expectations
  • Production Timelines
  • Production Considerations
    
  • Fulfillment of Requests
    • Formats
    • Delivery
• Alternative Format Accommodation Procedures
  • Textbook Request Process
    • Alternate methods to submit proof of purchase
    • How do I decide which textbooks to request?
    • When should textbook requests be submitted?
  • Course Materials Request Process
    • How do I decide which materials to request?
      
    • When should course material requests be submitted?

The Class Materials in Alternative Format accommodation is intended to help ensure students have equitable access to all course materials, such as textbooks, required readings, assignment documents, and other academic content.

The fulfillment of this accommodation may include the provision of accessible digital alternatives to printed/physical textbooks and course materials, and also the production of and/or coordination of access to digital content that is compatible with assistive technologies (e.g., screen readers, text-to-speech tools, magnifiers, alternative input devices, etc.) used by a student to access academic content and complete coursework.

Students approved for the Class Materials in Alternative Format accommodation should follow the procedures outlined on this page to make a request for their instructor or Accessibility Resources staff to take specific action related to coordinating this accommodation in a course.

Course materials eligible for the alternative format accommodation are those required (or recommended) by an instructor for the completion of a course and/or academic program requirement, as evidenced by the relevant syllabus, course assignment schedule, instructor verification, etc.

In compliance with current copyright law, we are required to verify that the title has been lawfully obtained by the student (purchase, rental, loan, gift, etc.) before any alternative format materials can be released.

Requests may be made for any course in which the student is currently enrolled, at any time throughout the semester. Requests for retroactive content cannot be guaranteed approval or fulfillment.

Under some circumstances, our team may accept (or recommend the initiation of) requests for future terms, due to factors such as procurement and/or production timeline considerations, foreseeable technical challenges, etc.

To request a title that is required or recommended for the completion of an academic program requirement that is not tied to a specific course, please contact our team via email with the details of your request.

Please reach out to our team if you would like us to initiate a review of a specific course’s content based on your approved alternative format accommodations and/or in consideration of assistive technology compatibility.

Use of this accommodation provides the student with an alternative format of copyright material. This material is for the sole use of the recipient for the academic accommodation of the specified course. Any misuse, alteration of, or distribution of this copyright material to anyone other than the original recipient may be a violation of copyright law. The original recipient of the accommodation will be in violation of the Student Code of Conduct, and may be subject to punishment.

Communication with our team is vital to ensuring students get the content they need, when they need it. Students who submit alternative format requests should expect communications from members of the Digital Access Team and be prepared to respond to questions and/or requests for more information.

Students will receive correspondence related to alternative format requests, including questions, fulfillment notifications, and content access instructions from DigitalAccess@uc.edu. The Digital Access Team communicates with students and grants access to requested materials using students' UC email addresses.

Production or fulfillment of a request may be paused or delayed if our team is awaiting a response from a student that impacts our ability to produce requested content.

Please notify our team immediately if you no longer need previously requested alternative formats so that we can effectively manage our request workflow (e.g., if you drop a course, realize that the title you have is already accessible, or decide that an alternative format is not needed for any reason).

The expected lead time for fulfillment of course materials in alternative format is a minimum of fifteen (15) business days from the date of request.  

Requests will be processed in the order they are received. Fulfillment schedules may vary by title, request parameters, and team capacity.

Requests may be fulfilled on more extended timelines during peak request periods:

• Fall Semester: August-September
• Spring Semester: January-February

There are some cases when a title may not be readily available for alternative format production.

• For example, titles that are 
  • out of print,
  • available only in print, or
  • not available in any digital format that our team can use to create an appropriate alternative format.
• Publishers and authors may choose not to release digital files or grant permission to use them. 
  • Fulfillment of alternative format requests for rented textbooks cannot be guaranteed.

If a digital copy of the requested title is not available, you may be asked to offer your physical copy of the material (if you have one) to be scanned and converted to a digital format. This process removes the spine of the book, rendering your book ineligible for buy-back.

Fulfillment schedules may vary by title, request parameters, and team capacity. 

If a requested title cannot be fulfilled in its entirety within the standard turnaround timeframe, (for example, if the content has to be manually remediated), fulfillment of content will be prioritized by due date in the course schedule. In these cases, students may receive chapters or sections of content according to the course assignment schedule, sometimes throughout the semester.

To fulfill some requests (due to length, complexity, requested turnaround time, etc.), content may be procured or remediated via a third party contracted by the university. 

Alternative formats are most commonly provided in one of three formats:

• Searchable Text Document
  • Usually delivered in PDF or Word format and will feature digital, searchable text
  • Intended to be used by standard text-to-speech software
  • Note: Word Documents may appear different from the original source publication.
• EPUB 
  • Usually delivered as an .epub file and will feature digital, searchable text
  • This format may be provided if “Searchable Text Document” is selected, but an adequate PDF or Word document is not available.
  • Note: EPUB format may not include images. 
• Screen Reader Accessible Document
  • May be delivered in PDF or Word format and will be optimized for compatibility with screen readers (JAWS, NVDA, etc.)
  • If you select this option, please provide as much information as possible in your request form about the technology you use to access course materials. The Digital Access Team may contact you to gather more information to determine the best format to meet your needs.

If you need access to content that is optimized for other devices, like audio files or refreshable Braille, please indicate in the message box how we can assist you.

Let us know if you would like guidance on identifying any assistive technology that may be required to access your course materials, such as a text-to-speech tool or EPUB reader.

Students will receive notification of fulfillment of requests via their UC email address, including content access instructions. 

Alternative format requests are usually delivered to students via a OneDrive folder. Each semester, students will be sent a link to a shared folder. Here, fulfilled requests will be available for at least the duration of the academic term.

There may be cases when fulfillment requires an alternate delivery method. In those cases, students may be asked to create a free account with a publication distributor to access the files (e.g., RedShelf).

Materials are distributed once per request. If a student needs to request access to the same title(s) that they previously had access to for a past course, they should either

• submit another Alternative Format Textbook Request Form (for a current or upcoming course) or
• email DigitalAccess@uc.edu (if not for a current or upcoming course).
  

To initiate a request for a textbook in an alternative format, submit an Alternative Format Textbook Request Form for each title you wish to request. 

A complete request includes:

• accurate data in all required fields of the request form,
• proof of purchase/rental for the title requested, and sometimes
• a syllabus and/or course assignment schedule (may be required to process and fulfill some requests).

1. Submit an Alternative Format Textbook Request Form for each book you want to request.
   • Attach a proof of purchase, rental, or ownership of the requested title.
   • Attach a copy of your syllabus and course assignment schedule, if you have access to them.
2. Communicate with our team as needed to coordinate your request. 
   • Team members may contact you from DigitalAccess@uc.edu, via your UC email address to gather information, ask content production questions and share fulfillment updates.
3. Review fulfilled materials.
   • You will receive an email from the Digital Access Team when content is available in an accessible format, including access instructions. 
   • If you encounter issues accessing the files, please notify our team as soon as possible.

If you do not have access to the required information at time of request, submit your request with as much information as possible and include a note for our team describing the situation.

For example, "The cost of this book was included in tuition for the course", or "I do not have the course assignment schedule, but would like you to contact my instructor to get it".

If you do not have proof of purchase, rental, etc., you will be expected to provide certification of your ownership of/access to the book (e.g., books that were gifted to you).

Submission of incomplete or inaccurate information could result in delays in fulfillment of requests.

We strongly recommend that students obtain their textbooks in a format accessible to them whenever possible (via purchase, rental, loan, open access, etc.), as this will reduce the potential for delays in accessing your materials and may offer better quality access and/or content. 

Please refer to our How to Find Accessible Digital Textbooks page for guidance on finding textbooks that are accessible to you.

If you cannot obtain a version that works for you, submit an Alternative Format Request.

Students should submit requests as soon as they are aware of the need for alternative formats.

Textbooks in alternative format may be requested for any course in which the student is currently enrolled, at any time throughout the semester. Requests for texts for future terms will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Requests for retroactive content cannot be guaranteed approval or fulfillment.

We recommend that students start looking into their textbooks as soon as possible after registering for classes for an upcoming semester. Textbook information may be available in Catalyst as soon as when enrollment opens. Even if you do not have access to your Canvas courses yet, you may still be able to get your textbook information to submit your alternative format requests.

If you need a list of books and/or assigned readings before classes start to help you determine whether you need to request an alternative format, email your request to the Digital Access Team. We can contact your instructors to request this information.

We suggest that students submit alternative format requests as soon as they have

• registered for classes
• reviewed the list of required texts for their courses, and 
• determined that there are no accessible options available to them.

The Digital Access Team can work with you, your Access Coordinator, and your instructors to address any questions or concerns you may have about

• any barriers you have encountered to accessing your course materials, 
• using assistive technology to complete coursework, study, participate in class, etc.,
• alternative format options for accessing your course materials (documents and other content posted to Canvas and/or provided by your instructor), or
• using assistive technology to complete coursework, study, participate in class, etc.
  

1. Email your Access Coordinator and DigitalAccess@uc.edu a description of your request, including:
   • Course and section number of the course(s) you are requesting support with
   • A copy of your syllabus and course assignment schedule, if you have access to them
   • Details about any specific content or assignment that you would like assistance with
   • Any documents or content that you would like to discuss (links or attachments)
2. Communicate with Accessibility Resources staff and your instructors as needed to coordinate your request.
   • Team members may contact you from DigitalAccess@uc.edu via your UC email address to set up meetings, gather information, and share updates related to the request.
   • Your Access Coordinator can provide guidance on communicating with your instructors about this accommodation.
3. Review fulfilled materials.
   • You will be notified by your instructor or members of our team when content is available in an accessible format, including access instructions. 
   • If you encounter issues accessing the files, please notify our team as soon as possible.

Reach out to your Access Coordinator immediately if you have any concerns or encounter any barriers to accessing your course materials or using assistive technology to complete coursework, study, participate in class, etc.

Students are encouraged to communicate with their instructors if they encounter any barriers to accessing course materials. If your instructor is not able to fulfill an accommodation independently, Accessibility Resources staff can advise and assist.

Students have the right to request a collaborative discussion about the coordination of this accommodation for a specific course or courses at any time.

Alternative formats may be requested for any course in which the student is currently enrolled, at any time throughout the semester. Requests for texts for future terms will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Requests for retroactive content cannot be guaranteed approval or fulfillment.

Depending on the impact of their disabilities, the technology they use, the expectations of a course, and other factors, some students reach out to instructors and/or Accessibility Resources to initiate a discussion about alternative formats before a course begins for the semester, sometimes as soon as they register for the class.

While some students choose to proactively notify instructors about their alternative format accommodation, some prefer to wait until the class starts to learn more about the content and expectations of a course before they decide whether to request any action to fulfill this accommodation. 

We understand that students do not always have access to book lists, course files, or assignment details very far in advance of the term or a due date. Our team can work with you and your instructors to coordinate access to course materials before classes start, Canvas modules open, due dates arrive, etc.