Alternative Format Request Policy and Procedures

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

Use the links in the list below to navigate to specific content sections on this page:

• Policy
  • Eligibility
  • Request Guidelines
    • Terms of Use
    • Communication Expectations
  • Production Timelines
  • Production Considerations
    
  • Fulfillment of Requests
    • Formats
    • Delivery
• 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 Course 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 Course Materials in Alternative Format accommodation should follow the procedures outlined on this page to make a request for the Communication and Digital Access Team 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 Communication and 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 Communication and 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 Communication and 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 the our team members 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.

• Email the Digital Access Team: DigitalAccess@uc.edu
• Fax: (513) 556-1838
  ATTN: Digital Access Team
  Subject: Textbook Receipts from [Your Name]
• Mailing Address:
  Office of Accessibility Resources, University of Cincinnati, Commons Edge North,
  57 W. Daniels Street, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0213

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.

We recommend that students start looking into their textbooks as soon as possible after registering for classes for an upcoming semester. Textbook information is often available in Catalyst 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.

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.

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.

Please contact the Communication and Digital Access Team directly at DigitalAccess@uc.edu to request assistance with

• accessing course materials in alternative formats, such as PDFs and other documents posted to Canvas and/or provided by your instructor 
• questions or concerns about the accessibility of academic materials
  
• using assistive technology to complete coursework or study

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.

1. Contact us at DigitalAccess@uc.edu and describe your request, including:
   • Course ID 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 our assistance with
2. Communicate with the members of our team at 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.
3. Review fulfilled materials.
   1. You will be notified by your instructor or members of our team when content is available in an accessible format, including access instructions. 
   2. If you encounter issues accessing the files, please notify our team as soon as possible.

Please reach out to our team as soon as possible to discuss any questions or concerns you have about

• options for independently accessing your course materials in alternative formats
• any barriers you have encountered to accessing your course materials
• using assistive technology to access course content, and/or
  
• communicating with your instructors about this accommodation.

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

Requests may be made for any course in which the student is currently enrolled, at any time throughout the semester.

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

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.

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. In most cases, this can be done without disclosing your identity.