Current Students
Resources for Students with Disabilities
Texts in Alternative Formats
Students who are blind/visually impaired and those with qualifying learning disabilities may be eligible for text in alternative format. Disability Services provides textbooks and some other course materials in alternative format which may include:
- eText in secure format from a variety of resources
- eText from the publisher provided to the student on CD or via electronic mail
- Text scanned by an outside vendor and provided to the student on CD or via electronic mail
- MP3 created from scanned materials provided to students on CD or via USB flash drive
- Audiotape in four-track format from a variety of resources
- Audiotape recorded by BU students working as both volunteers and student employees
- Braille and/or Tactile
- Large Print
Disability Services will need at least six weeks prior to the start of classes to access or convert material. To obtain book information such as title, edition, and copyright date, you may use the following contacts.
Barnes & Noble at Boston University
Textbook Department, 4th floor
660 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02215-2002
Phone: 617-236-7420
textbks2@bu.edu
At the start of each academic semester, students may experience significant wait times while contacting the Barnes & Noble textbook department. You are encouraged to use several online resources for finding textbook information. This information can be found at the BU Disability Website under "Alternative Text Resources".
If you need assistance in obtaining textbook information, please contact Daniel Berkowitz in Disability Services at (617) 353-3658.
For assistance in locating SSW "Readers" (Collections of articles) contact: Cate Solomon, Director of Student Services at (617) 353-5607.
Boston University has an institutional membership with Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D). This means Disability Services may obtain a textbook from RFB&D provided you're eligible for this service. Students can choose to have an individual membership, which requires an annual fee, though you would have access to textbooks and other services without having to go through BU Disability Services.
RFB&D
Member Services, Individual and Institutional
800-221-4792
20 Roszel Road
Princeton, NJ 08540
866-RFBD-585
Another resource for audio books (not textbooks) is www.audible.com.
This site allow members to download books to one's computer and/or MP3
player.
