Digital curriculum materials service
Accessible textbooks are a step closer, as work has started to create a digital curriculum materials service for secondary schools in England.
Dyslexia Action and RNIB have received support from the Department of Education for a partnership project to create a fully accessible and dyslexia friendly website-based service. This will provide downloadable curriculum materials in a range of accessible formats for young people who cannot read standard print and their teachers.
This fantastic milestone could not have been reached without the support of parents, children, teaching staff and MPs, who backed our campaign for every child's right to read and to equal educational opportunities.
The service is scheduled to be available in the 2011-12 academic year and we will bring you more details nearer that time.
Background to pilot project 2009-10
A Department for Education (DfE) project has created electronic versions of over 100 commonly used textbooks which are available to every learner with a print impairment (including dyslexia and visual impairment).
Schools and local authorities should check the list of books that can be ordered through RNIB before producing textbooks themselves.
The textbook files are provided in Word 2003 format at the request of schools in the project. They have been deliberately designed to be appropriate and flexible for students with a print impairment. They can be read as they are by the learner using a computer to change the settings (for example the background colour and font size), with access technology, or can be converted by staff or learners into large print, braille or audio.
Many of the books also include descriptions of images including pictures, graphs and diagrams to help learners with sight loss.
These files were created by a year long pilot project funded by the DfE, led by the Dolphin Inclusive Consortium. The project delivered electronic versions of the textbooks needed by around 40 print-impaired learners aged 11-14 in nine schools. One legacy from this project is to make these files available to all print-impaired learners in the UK.
For more information on the DfE Accessible Resources Pilot Project, please visit mytextbook.org
Which textbook titles are available?
Each CD-ROM will include a selection of conversion and playback tools to help you and your learner use the electronic version.
How much do they cost?
Each textbook title cost £2.99 (this price is to cover RNIB's distribution costs only) an additional 77p is added to your order to cover Recorded Delivery postage.
The books are sent Recorded Delivery to ensure timely delivery of the materials and enable us to track the package if necessary.
Terms and conditions and declaration
Teachers or support staff need to complete a Purchase Order and Declaration.
The Declaration asks for your details, confirmation that the learner has a print impairment and that a print copy of the book requested is already owned.
On receipt of your Purchase Order and completed Declaration form, we aim to get your book files despatched on CD-ROM within 5 to 10 working days.
Please read the Terms and Conditions and Declaration document carefully. It sets out the conditions under which you use the files for visually impaired or print-impaired learners only, and by signing the Declaration, you are agreeing to abide by these conditions allowing RNIB to release the file(s) to you.
Section 2.1 of the Declaration asks you to list the title and order/reference number for each book you wish to purchase. The order/reference number begins "TCM".
The Declaration only covers the books that have been listed on it in section 2.1. If you raise a purchase order to cover five books - those five books can be listed on one declaration form. If you raise a further purchase order for another three books, you will need to complete another declaration listing the three titles in section 2.1.
On completing the Declaration form, please return it to RNIB, along with your Purchase Order.
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Email: education@rnib.org.uk
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Post: Key Accounts Team, RNIB, PO Box 173, Peterborough, PE2 6WS
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Fax: 01733 23 85 41
Please note: if you wish to email the Declaration form - it will need to be a scanned in copy - which has a print signature on it. Otherwise it will need to be a signed copy in the post or by fax.
Frequently asked questions
For more information on the DfE Accessible Resources Pilot Project, please visit mytextbook.org
Also available
Our Shakespeare multimedia books are supplied on CD-ROM and contain three file formats: braille, large print and DAISY.
The braille version is an embossable contracted braille (grade 2) file. The printable large print version is in PDF format. The DAISY version contains full audio and linked text. The braille and large print versions are available for you to use on screen, or to print one hard copy for personal use.
There are three Nelson Thornes Shakespeare titles available as multimedia books: Romeo and Juliet (TCM01), The Merchant of Venice (TCM02) and Much Ado About Nothing (TCM03).
For further information or to order, please visit our Online Shop or contact RNIB on 0303 123 9999.