Portal:Braille Unit
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Policies and Procedures
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Braille Services
The Alternative Media Access Center (AMAC) Braille Services Unit offers textbook and exam conversion to Braille services to institutions through a membership program. AMAC services are available to non-member institutions on a fee for service basis. The Braille Services Unit specializes in math, science and foreign language textbook conversion. Braille service products include Braille transcription, Braille embossing, and the creation of tactile graphics. AMAC offers timely high quality Braille products in a cost effective manner.
Braille Exams
Due to a legislative grant to support the provision of braille for students on the post-secondary level, AMAC will be providing all tests and exams to Members without charge regardless of their “fee for service” status. This means that even if you have already requested the number of documents that your membership affords you for free, you will not be charged for tests or exams that are requested. Further, If the member school has not requested all of its free braille documents, when a request for a test or exam comes in, it will not be charged against the membership total. In order to efficiently implement this new program, the following guidelines have been established:
- In order to have a test or exam brailled, an order must be placed. When placing the order, please click the checkbox for test/quiz/exam. An ISBN number will automatically be generated for the order. However, under title you should type the school name followed by the class name and number. For example: UGA/Math1103.
- No order will be accepted that does not have an electronic file for the exam attached. If the professor can not provide an electronic copy of the exam, then your office must scan or type the document before it is submitted.
- If the exam has graphics, drawings or other images that can not be submitted electronically, place a note to that effect in the notes section of the order and you will be contacted by the braille department so that the order may be dealt with on a case by case basis.
- When placing the order, you must give a due date for receipt of the brailled copy. You may use the date on which the student will take the exam. However, if the exam is being administered early in the day (or before noon), then you must provide that information in the notes section of the order. If no specifications are given regarding the time that the exam is needed on the “receipt by” day, then it will be assumed that anytime that day will be sufficient for the exam to arrive.
AMAC Braille Membership Services
A quota for the number of textbook conversion requests is based on the institution’s membership fee level. If AMAC Members exceed their annual quota of Braille transcribed books, additional Braille services are offered through AMAC’s Extended Braille Services policies which provides a 50% discount off the fee for service price. Braille textbook conversion is a highly specialized and time consuming process, and requests for Braille documents must be made in accordance with the policies and procedures listed below.
Braille Membership Policies
The AMAC Braille Unit functions in much the same way as the Production Unit in that electronic copy of textbooks are obtained for conversion into Braille. One print page converted into Braille can become three to six Braille pages. This means that a Braille text is much bulkier than the printed text and is always divided into multiple volumes for ease of use. Hence, most students will opt to use Braille for only the most specialized texts such as math, science and foreign languages. The translation of texts that cover these subjects requires special certification on the part of the person acting as the Transcriber. AMAC tailors its Braille services to these specialized needs.
Once the electronic file of the text has been procured, the student’s syllabus is used to determine priority for producing individual chapters. A staff Braille Transcriber or a contract Braille Transcriber translates the text into Braille using a variety of software and other tools. If the text is a math book containing graphics, then each figure, drawing or illustration is reproduced by hand so that it is available as a tactile depiction of the text. The Transcriber uses a variety of tools such as different sized tracing wheels, sticky papers, etc. to create the graphics. After the text has been translated into Braille, a proofreader spot-checks the translated material against the printed text for accuracy. Only after the text has been proofed, is it sent to the embosser. In some cases, the electronic Braille file will be sent to the DSP and the file will be embossed on site by the school. This eliminates having to overnight a large box of bound volumes to the school.
Because of the labor intensive process required to produce Braille text, AMAC requires a longer lead time for conversion of texts that require conversion to Braille. To the extent possible, it is recommended that texts should be requested one semester or six months prior to the commencement of the course.
AMAC offers textbook conversion to Braille services to its Members upon request. The number of Braille texts that may be requested correlates to one text for every $10,000.00 paid in membership fees. For example, AMAC member institutions which have incurred membership costs ranging from $1.00 to $9,999.00 may request one Braille text per membership year. AMAC Members who have paid fees of $10,000.00 to $19,999.00 may request two Braille texts per membership year, and so on.
If the request is made for a text that already has been transcribed into Braille and resides in the AMAC repository, the request does not count toward the institution’s Braille quota. However, if the text resides in the AMAC repository in an e-text format but has not been transcribed into Braille, the book still must be transcribed into Braille and the request does count toward the institution’s Braille quota. If the institution requires more Braille books than its quota allows, requests will be fulfilled according to AMAC’s Extended Braille Services policies
AMAC’s Fee for Services Program
AMAC Braille transcription services are available to institutions that are not AMAC Members. Braille text may be requested on an “as needed” basis and paid for under the fee for service program.
- The Braille Unit will examine the text, assess the transcription requirements, and provide an estimate for the cost of the job.
- The Braille Unit will provide an estimate for the cost of the job within two weeks of receiving the printed material to be transcribed. If the estimate is required in less than the two week time frame, please indicate so when making the initial request.
- AMAC must receive the text prior to committing to fulfilling the request.
- Once AMAC has received written notification that the estimate has been accepted by the institution, the Braille Unit will begin transcription of the material. Material will be provided in installments as it is completed.
- Braille requests must be made at least one semester or six months before the book is needed. If a book is not requested within this time frame, the request will be filled as quickly as possible and provided in installments.
- Factors to be considered by the Braille Unit when determining whether a book can be provided include, but are not limited to:
- The length of the book;
- The complexity of the material (straight text, or math, science, foreign language, etc.);
- Whether the material can be provided in an e-Braille format;
- The number and complexity of the graphics in the text;
- Whether, based on the status of other orders received according to AMAC guidelines, AMAC has available staff to produce the requested material.
AMAC may offer to make concessions in order to provide Braille services. Concessions which may be offered include, but are not limited to:
- Determining, with the assistance of the student, the disability service provider (DSP), and the professor, which parts of the text are most important, and providing those parts first;
- Providing the text only, excluding any reproduction of the graphics;
- Providing the book in electronic Braille format only.
AMAC ships Braille volumes via the United States Postal Service as free matter for the blind. If this service is not available, or overnight services are required, AMAC will pay for the shipment of materials by other means. Braille materials are shipped to the DSP unless otherwise specified.
Braille Transcription Costs
The following figures are provided only to aid our customers in approximating a rough cost estimate. Official estimates must be coordinated with the AMAC Braille Unit in accordance with the policies listed above. Prices are subject to change without notice.
Price per page of embossed Braille:
- Literary texts $3.45
- Math texts 6.00
- Science texts 6.00
- Foreign Language 5.00
- Music 7.25
- Computer 6.25
- Illustration (embedded with text) 4.95
- Embossing Only(books in NEON) 0.62
Illustrations Only: $35.68 per hour
Please note that the transcription and illustration costs include all materials, embossing, final production, and shipping (free matter for the blind).
Request a Quote
Institutions who wish to request a quote for Braille services in accordance with policies detailed above, may do so by contacting the AMAC Braille Manager at 706-369-5830 (toll free: 866-279-2964) or www.amac.uga.edu.
