Alternate Format Materials

Policies and Procedures for Alternate Format Materials

Fitchburg State University offers support in obtaining alternate format materials for eligible students with disabilities.

Eligible students that elect to use this service must adhere to a basic set of guidelines, which have been established by the University to assure timely and equitable provision of alternate format materials.

To be eligible for alternate format materials, students must:

  • Be enrolled for the semester and the particular course(s) that they are requesting materials for.
  • Provide the Director of Disability Services with supporting documentation of the disability that prevents use of standard instructional material.
  • Purchase instructional materials at the same cost as other students.
  • No copies or reproductions of alternatively formatted materials are allowed nor allow anyone else to do so pursuant to the requirements of the copyright revision act of 1976 as amended (17 U.S.C. § 1 01 et seq.).
  • Not share alternatively formatted materials with any other party.
  • Understand that any violation of this agreement may be considered a violation of Fitchburg State University's Student Code of Conduct and may result in penalties including suspension and expulsion. Violations may also constitute a violation of federal and/or state laws and may result in civil or criminal prosecution, payment of fines or other moneys to the copyright holder, and/or incarceration.

In turn, you can expect the following from Disability Services:

  • Disability Services will determine if you qualify as having a print disability and are eligible for alternate formats of copyrighted materials.
  • Disability Services will provide access to the requested e-text when it is available and will assist with converting materials if they are unavailable electronically (e.g. through Bookshare or the publisher). Alternate format materials will be produced in-house in accordance with university policies and procedures and standard copyright law. For details, please review the disability services handbook.
  • Disability Services will confirm with you when a request for alternate material conversion has been received and processed and will contact the student when materials are ready to be picked up.

Additional Notes:

Materials that must be presented for conversion into electronic format can take many hours of work if not readily available. The Adaptive Lab Coordinator will give you an estimate for the conversion of your materials based on the date they are submitted.