Photo by Chris Meyer Stores Photo by Chris Meyer Stacy Stiening (left), an IUB Disability Services for Students employee, views the adaptive technology display as DSS employee Tomas Gregg points out the unique features of the equipment. Gregg demonstrates reading assistance program technology that displays a text book in a digital format while retaining the look of the original material. This is meant to make the viewer feel more comfortable reading material that resembles pages from a book, magazine or other form of print.

Stores shared her experiences using technology available at IUB through the Adaptive Technology Center (ATC). As a division of University Information Technology Services, ATC was established to offer extensive individual and group training on use of adaptive hardware and software. ATC, established in 1999, offers technology-based services for students with disabilities and has grown to include alternative media (Braille, MP3, electronic text, audio transcriptions), a laptop loaner program, a software loaner program and adaptive software.

ATC provides materials in alternate format to meet the needs of students with disabilities. Most recently, ATC has partnered with Bookshare.org to make college textbooks available to students with disabilities nationwide. Under the terms of the partnership, IU will contribute all textbooks scanned in its production facility to Bookshare.org, a leading online library serving individuals with reading-related disabilities. These materials will be made available only to individuals with qualifying disabilities, including visual impairments, mobility impairments and learning disabilities such as dyslexia. Qualifying Bookshare.org members may access the materials online by becoming subscribers themselves, or through access sponsored by an organization such as a university or college.
http://www.indiana.edu/~iuadapts/toc.html
http://www.bookshare.org

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