Copy machines capable of producing documents accessible to those with low vision or other sight impairment will soon be in place at 11 locations across campus. It’s the start of a campaign to ensure these machines are readily available for the campus community.
When scanning a document, most copy machines produce a PDF image that’s undecipherable to screen-reading technologies. The new functionality allows copiers to scan a document to create a PDF file that can be read by these technologies using optical character recognition, or OCR.
“Faculty who are giving out copies of materials to their students can put this type of PDF file on their Canvas site or email it to students with sight impairment,” said Heather Hartman, assistant vice provost for accreditation and liaison to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Several hand scanners are now available in the studio in Hodges Library.
The Office of the Provost is funding immediate copier upgrades for these locations: sixth-floor lobby of Andy Holt Tower; 227 Ayres Hall; 302A Bailey Education Complex; College of Law Library, first floor copier area; Dunford Hall, Student Disability Services on the first floor; Ellington Plant Sciences Building, Lobby 252; 205 McClung Tower; 401K Min Kao Building; Natalie L. Haslam Music Center, Music Library; 505 Strong Hall; and the fourth-floor hallway of the Tickle Engineering Building. In addition, all 350 campus copiers leased through the Convenience Copier program will have this capability as they are replaced in coming years.