Audio Books/Electronic Texts

Every effort will be made by the Office of Disability Services to provide students requiring the need/use of alternate formats of course-related textbooks the ability to attain such in a timely manner. Verification of a students need must be provided in their required comprehensive disability documentation.

Possible alternate formats include:

  • books on audio tape or CD from Bookshare or Learning Ally
  • publisher E-text
  • scanned books on campus through FIT-ABLE

The nature and scope of the curriculum at FIT may preclude some books from being available in an alternate format, or may make it difficult to convert books with graphics, charts, drawings, etc. 

The Barnes & Noble at FIT book store works with the Office of Disability Services, with advance notice, to provide our office with books for scanning purposes. It is the responsibility of all students to purchase required textbooks and to comply with the provisions of the U.S. Copyright Act. Purchases of textbooks must be made and a copy of a receipt provided to the Office of Disability Services. Requests can be submitted via the Alternate Textbok Request form.

Books on Audio Tape/CD

Students with Personal Membership to Learning Ally

  • Search the Learning Ally website to find your book, using the correct edition required.
  • If the book is available as cited within the syllabi, simply order your textbook.
  • If the book is not available through Learning Ally, contact FIT-ABLE to learn more about the options for scanning and to receive training.

Students without Personal Membership with Learning Ally

FIT-ABLE has an institutional membership and can order your books in audio format.

  • Submit your request for books in audio format from RFB&D through the Office of Disability Services, providing us with all pertinent information as follows:
    • ISBN Number:
    • Title of Book:
    • Author/s:
    • Edition Number:
    • Publisher:
  • Advance notice of 3 to 4 weeks prior to the beginning of the semester is appreciated.

If the book is not available from this source, or if the book is being completed in conversion stages, the Office of Disability Services will need to work with you to obtain the course material in a different format.

There may be times when an instructor has self-published a book or designed a book cutting and pasting articles and readings. If such occurs, the Office of Disability Services will need to contact the instructor to obtain a copy of the book for scanning purposes.

Turn around time once a book has been secured through Learning Ally is typically one week.

The Office of Disability Services will email you upon receipt of the audio book in its possession so that you may quickly pick up the book for immediate use.

Scanning Books on Campus

FIT-ABLE has software called Read&Write that enables conversion of print to electronic text which can be read to the user. It is located on computers in the FIT-ABLE office multi-purpose lab, the Library, and all PCs on campus.

Students requiring books scanned for reading purposes are enouraged to receive training on Read&Write through the Office of Disability Services. A student may scan their books in either the Office of Disability Services or the Library or request a scanned copy through FIT-ABLE. Copies of documents can be saved to a student's personal FIT network drive, which can then be opened in any of the three locations.

If a student is unable to scan their own books utilizing this technology, assistance will be provided by the staff of the Office of Disability Services.

For copyright purposes, the student must provide FIT-ABLE with a paid receipt for each book that is scanned or delivered in an alternate format.