Alternate Media

Welcome to the Alternate Media Center

The Alternate Media Center is dedicated to ensuring that students have materials they need, in a format they can use. The center provides alternate media for students with verified disabilities for required textbooks, course material, class handouts, exams, and other printed and online documents. The center has specialized equipment to scan books and documents, software to convert scanned images to text, software for the conversion of text to Braille, and equipment to emboss Braille and create tactile images.

Students are responsible for providing a receipt or proof of ownership for each textbook they are requesting a format conversion for. Students are also responsible for contacting their instructor to obtain a syllabus and reading/homework/classwork schedule for each class. Work will not begin on a project until these items have been submitted to the Alt Media Specialist. It is critical for Alt Media requests to be submitted as early as possible to ensure the material will be ready for the start of the semester.

What is alternate media?

Print materials are converted into electronic text, such as Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF files, which can be accessed with various screen reading or screen enlargement software.
Print materials are translated into Braille or converted to large print. Print materials may be converted into text formats suitable for use with various Text to Speech software options.
Diagrams and figures are embossed to allow students with vision limitations to feel the tactile images.
Glendale Community College also partners with outside resources to acquire alternate media, such as The Alternate Text Production Center, Bookshare, AccessText, and Learning Ally.

How does a student request alternate media?

A CSD Specialist or Counselor verifies the disability, determines the need, and authorizes the appropriate type of alternate media. The Counselor or Specialist will then complete and sign the alternate Media Request Form and submit it to the Alternate Media Specialist. Students are responsible for providing a receipt for each textbook they are requesting a format conversion for. Students are also responsible for contacting their instructor to obtain a syllabus and reading/homework/classwork schedule for each class. Work will not begin on a project until these items have been submitted to the Alt Media Specialist. It is critical for Alt Media requests to be submitted as early as possible to ensure the material will be ready for the start of the semester.

How long does it take to obtain alternate media?

Upon receipt of a request, the Alternate Media Specialist will e-mail or phone the student with a tentative timeline for the project. Students will receive another call or e-mail when the material is ready for pick up at the Alternate Media Center or available online. Requests from instructors will be delivered to the instructor's campus mailbox, email, or to the ARC Testing Center, as appropriate.

The timeline for completion depends upon the type of starting material, the number of pages, and the desired alternate format. Timelines will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Specialized formats such as braille can take several months to prepare. It is critical for Alt Media requests to be submitted as early as possible to ensure the material will be ready for the start of the semester.

For additional information regarding Alternate Media Guidelines, please refer to the Chancellor's Office Guidelines for Producing Instructional and other Printed Materials in Alternate Media for Persons with Disabilities.

How does an instructor request alternate media?

Contact