Learn About Formats
Learning materials can be tailored by CILS to meet the needs of individual students and instructors. These formats include:
Electronic Text or E-Text
E-text or electronic text, is computer readable text. There are many formats of e-text, but CILS generally produces e-text in ASCII plain-text, Rich Text Format (RTF), or MS Word format (.doc). E-text is ideal for people who want to magnify text on their computer screen, use a screen reader, use text to speech software or use braille devices.
View Reading Electronic Text with Read Please (CILS Tutorial).
View Reading Electronic Text with Text Aloud (AT-BC Tutorial).
View Using JAWS for Windows (AT-BC Tutorial).
Adobe PDF
Accessible PDF is a form of e-text that preserves the look of the original document. The advantage of this format is that CILS can produce it quickly; nevertheless, it may not be suitable for complex texts with sidebars, text-boxes and multiple columns because such complications may interfere with audio output.
View Text Radable PDF Tutorial.
CILS PDF Types
The following are the types of PDFs that can be produced at CILS
Image Only PDF
“Image only” PDFs are a simple scan or image of a print page and do not contain text. This type of PDF is inaccessible to individuals using a screen reader or other text-to-speech solution, but may be useful to individuals using the PDF for either print or on-screen enlargement.
Text Readable PDF
In addition to scanned images, “text readable” PDFs contain text, which is typically generated through OCR or from an electronic source document, such as a word processor file. “Text readable” PDFs are not necessarily “accessible,” however, because they lack structure and tagging.
Accessible PDF
PDFs differ from “text readable” PDFs in that they contain additional structure and content that allow users to navigate within the document more effectively using a screen reader or other text-to-speech solution. To be” accessible,” a PDF must have
a) Tagging: metadata labels, or tags, define document structure such as heading levels and column order;
b) Alt-text: textual description of non-textual elements, such as images and links; and
c) Navigation features: a table of contents and a heading structure.
For more information on PDFs and accessibility, see http://www.adobe.com/enterprise/accessibility/pdfs/acro6_pg_ue.pdf
Kurzweil
Kurzweil is a proprietary format that requires the Kurzweil 3000 software package.
Kurzweil 3000 enables a user to use scanned printed material outputed as displayed text
synchronized with a synthesized voice.
View Kurzweil Tutorial at www.kurzweiledu.com.
Digital Audio (MP3)
A digital audio talking book may be played back by a computer or MP3 player, such as an iPod. Digital audio produced by CILS is generated automatically from e-text or accessible PDF, and is read by an electronic voice.
View Digital Audio (MP3)Tutorial.
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Listen to MP3 Samples
The following are samples of voices that CILS can produce from electronic text. These voices pitch and spped can be changed according to user preference.
Female Voice 1: Julie
* Download Julie (right click link and select Save Link As)
Female Voice 2: Samantha
* Download Samantha (right click link and select Save Link As)
Male Voice 1: Tom
* Download Tom (right click link and select Save Link As)
Male Voice 2: Paul
* Download Paul (right click link and select Save Link As)
DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System)
DAISY is a talking book format that allows users to navigate the text by chapter, section and page number. DAISY books can be played on a computer or on a portable DAISY player. At CILS, DAISY is produced using human voice with navigation as well as full text with synthesized voice. View DAISY Tutorial.
Large Print
Large print comes in a variety of formats:
* Electronic text format See E-Text above.
* PDF Image Only format - for students with low vision who can enlarge their own print products or read them off the computer screen. Portable Document Format (PDF) allows documents to appear on the computer just as they would in print.
* Large print enlargement on paper.
Tactile Graphics
Raised or sculptured drawings. CILS produces simple tactile graphics. CILS will also borrow tactile graphics when they are available.
Braille
A tactile system of cells of dots. CILS does not produce braille at this time but will locate and borrow braille when it is available.