Alternate Media is an accommodation for EAC students who have what is called a print disability. This means that your disability or diagnosis in some way, shape, or form, impairs your ability to engage with your standard "printed" educational materials.

• Students with low vision may have difficulty reading small-print text on handouts
• Students with Dyslexia may have difficulty synthesizing the information they read
• Students with Dysgraphia may have difficulty writing papers
• Students with ADHD may have difficulty focusing while reading their textbook
• Students with temporary injuries (i.e. a broken arm) may have difficulty holding a pencil to write

These students, and many others, may benefit from one or more of the following tools:

• Braille Text
  • Embossed hard copies
  • Braille Ready Format (BRF) files
• Digital Text
  • PDF files
  • Word docs
  • Bookshare
    • Access to an online repository of e-texts
• Text-To-Speech Software (Audio Books)
  • Kurzweil 3000
    • Reads PDFs aloud
    • Reads website HTML text aloud
    • Available for EAC-accommodated exams
• Dictation Software
  • Microsoft Dictate
  • Google Voice Typing

Ventura College students who are registered with the Educational Assistance Center (EAC) must meet with a counselor in order to be evaluated for Alternate Media Services. If you are not yet affiliated with the Ventura College EAC and have a disability or diagnosis that is causing barriers to your education, then you should call our office to see if you qualify for services

In-person, phone, and Zoom appointments can be scheduled by contacting the EAC main office: 805-289-6300

Counseling Hours for Maria Reyes-Sanchez
Monday - Thursday | 8:00am - 4:30pm
 

Counseling Hours for Mario Rivera Cebollero
Monday - Thursday | 8:00am - 4:30pm
 

NOTE: Evening appointments are available on Tuesdays.

If your counselor approves you for Alternate Media Services, a referral will be sent to the Alternate Media Specialist, who will then contact you via your VCCCD email address to set up an appointment to discuss which tools/services will best meet your educational needs.

Alternate Media Policies & Procedures

Students requesting Alternate Media Services will complete/return the above Google Form, agreeing to the following statements:

1.0 – Initial Agreement

1.1 – I am registered with the Ventura College Educational Assistance Center and have been approved by an EAC counselor to receive Alternate Media Services

1.2 – Each semester that I require Alternate Media Services, I will fill out and submit a new Alternate Media Policies & Procedures form.

1.3 – Each semester that I require Alternate Media Services, I will meet with the Alternate Media Specialist to discuss my academic goals and accessibility needs.

2.0 – Alternate Media Request

2.1 – Each semester that I wish to receive a textbook in an alternate format, I will submit a new Alternate Media Request Form to begin the process.

2.2 – I will submit my request as soon as possible, preferably at the time of registration. I understand that alternate media requests are processed in the order received, that every effort will be made to process my request in a timely manner, and that the turnaround time may vary greatly (depending on textbook availability, length, subject, publisher, formatting, and complexity).

2.3 – It is my responsibility to provide the Alternate Media Specialist with all course syllabi and/or reading schedules and to provide timely notice of any changes made by the instructor.

2.4 – The Alternate Media Specialist makes no guarantee that my alternate media will be provided in one piece. Depending on the volume and complexity involved in my order (and the overall demand for Alternate Media Services during the semester), the Alternate Media Specialist may deliver one or more chapters at a time—adhering to my provided syllabus or reading schedule where feasible.

3.0 – Changes to an Alternate Media Request

3.1 – If I drop a class for which I have requested a textbook in an alternate format, I will notify the Alternate Media Specialist immediately.

3.2 – If I no longer require a textbook which I have requested in an alternate format, I will notify the Alternate Media Specialist immediately.

3.3 – The Alternate Media Specialist may cancel a request after three attempted contacts (with no response) following the initial Alternate Media Request.

3.4 – If I wish to reopen a canceled request, I will submit a new Alternate Media Request Form.

3.5 – If my professor makes changes to the required reading list, I will notify the Alternate Media Specialist immediately and submit a new Alternate Media Request Form if needed.

4.0 – Proof of Access

4.1 – In compliance with copyright laws, I will demonstrate proof that I have access to a copy of each textbook that I request before an alternate format can be provided to me.

4.2 – Proof of Access to the requested content is defined as any of the following:

• A copy of the receipt

• A forwarded purchase confirmation email

• A picture of the textbook, with my student ID on top

• A picture of the textbook, with a note on top, containing my name, ID#, and the date

• Bringing the textbook into the EAC office for visual confirmation by the Alternate Media Specialist.

4.3 – Proof of Access should be emailed to the Alternate Media Specialist at william_slason1@vcccd.edu.

5.0 – Copyright Guidelines

5.1 – Alternate media resources are provided on an individual and case-by-base basis. The materials furnished to me are for me alone and exclusively for educational use.

5.2 – I will have access to my alternate media for the current semester only, and only for as long as I am enrolled in a class that requires these reading materials for my success.

5.3 – Access to my alternate media will be revoked at the close of each semester. If I am retaking a course in the following semester and require the same reading materials, I must make this known to the Alternate Media Specialist before the end of the semester.

5.4 – I will not copy, reproduce, share, or distribute any alternate media provided by the EAC.

5.5 – I will not allow anyone else to copy, reproduce, share, or distribute any alternate media provided by the EAC.

5.6 – I will not share licenses for or use of specialized software provided to me as a part of my Alternate Media Accommodation.

6.0 – Communication

6.1 – In general, the Alternate Media Specialist will communicate with me using either my preferred method of contact or my VCCCD email address.

6.2 – The Alternate Media Specialist will provide updates by email or phone call when access to my alternate media is granted/rescinded, or in the case where textbooks are provided piecemeal, when a new chapter is available for me to access.

7.0 – Final Agreement

7.1 – I agree to abide by the provisions of the Alternate Media Policies & Procedures as recorded in this document.

7.2 – Failure to abide by the aforementioned Policies and Procedures could result in the delay or termination of services rendered.

Alternate Media Request Form

Once you have submitted the Policies & Procures form, use the link above to request your textbooks in an alternate format. Each form accepts five individual requests, but if you have more than five, you may submit a second form. Be prepared to provide your Course Name, CRN, Instructor's Name, Book Title, Book Author, Edition Number, and ISBN. The form will ask for additional information from you, but these items are crucial to receiving your alternate media in a timely manner. If you encounter any difficulties while filling out the form, please reach out to the Alternate Media Specialist by phone 805-289-6115 or by email william_slason1@vcccd.edu

If an Educational Assistance Center counselor has approved you to receive Alternate Media Services and you take proctored quizzes/exams in the EAC, then you may request the use of Kurzweil 3000 for your testing period. (Alternatively, you may request your exam in large print if you do not need them read aloud to you.)

First - Please book your exam period well in advance to ensure that the Alternate Media Specialist has enough time to prepare your exam to be read aloud to you. Same day appointments usually will not allow enough time to ensure the accuracy of the exam questions when read aloud. Where possible, please schedule your EAC-proctored exams one week in advance.

Second - When you call/visit our office, let the staff member who books your appointment know that you would like to have your test read aloud to you. (Be advised that graphs, charts, tables, and complex equations will not be read aloud.)

Third - On the day of your exam, when you check in with the Student Services Assistant who will proctor you, let them know that you requested to use Kurzweil when booking your appointment. Your proctor will set you up at a computer, log into the portal, and pull up your test. Once your proctor says to start, you may begin the exam.

If you have any questions about the process of requesting Alternate Media for your exams, please give us a call at 805-289-6300.

If one of your students is using their Alternate Media accommodation while testing, we at the EAC want to be transparent with you about our process and the steps we take to ensure testing security measures are upheld.

First - Only students who have been approved by an EAC counselor for Alternate Media will be allowed to use our text-to-speech application (Kurzweil 3000) while testing. The accommodation process begins when a student first requests to take their exam, aided by Kurzweil. Whichever staff member books the student's appointment will then pass the appointment information directly to both the Student Services Assistant (who will proctor the exam) and the Alternate Media Specialist (who will prepare the exam to be read aloud to the student).

Second - One of these two staff members will contact you for a copy of the upcoming exam (PDF files are preferable, but print copies are acceptable as well). We ask that you provide the exam no later than three business days before the date of the student's proctored exam.

Third - The Alternate Media Specialist requires this time to make your exam compatible with the text-to-speech software. Kurzweil's Optical Character Recognition (OCR) process is not perfect and it can, and will, makes mistakes. The Alternate Media Specialist uses this three-day window to go into the program and manually comb through the exam, word for word, to make sure that your questions are read aloud exactly as intended. Rest assured, your exam is not fundamentally being altered in any way. We take these steps to ensure the authenticity of your questions and ensure their faithful translation into speech.

Fourth - On testing day, the student will come into the EAC and speak with our Student Services Assistant/Proctor about their exam. The Proctor will ask them to leave their backpack, phone, smartwatch, and any other electronic devices in one of our lockers before proceeding. While the student is putting their belongings away, the Proctor will prepare a computer and sign into the "EAC Proctoring" account on Kurzweil 3000. The Proctor will open the exam for the student and instruct them to begin testing.

Fifth - Kurzweil will simply read the test aloud to the student. It offers no additional features that may otherwise give the student an unfair advantage over their peers. Furthermore, the EAC Proctor will be on the lookout for any potential testing security violations, by means of our CCTV security system.

Sixth - When the student has finished testing, they will report to the Proctor, collect their belongings, and leave the office. The Alternate Media Specialist will then delete the exam from the proctoring account for testing security purposes. To further ensure the validity of EAC-proctored exams, the password on the proctoring account is changed with each student who tests with us and is never shared with the student in the first place. The Proctor will always be the one to sign into the portal for the student.

Do you have any questions about our process?

For general testing questions, please reach out to the EAC Front Office by phone (805-289-6300) or by email (vceac@vcccd.edu). For questions about the use of Kurzweil 3000 on exams, please reach out to the Alternate Media Specialist by phone (805-289-6115) or by email (william_slason1@vcccd.edu).