Alternate Media

Clovis Community College provides course materials in alternative formats to meet the learning needs of the student. Course materials can include textbooks, print/handouts, time-based media such as audio/video, or any other instructional materials.

Types of Alternate Media:

There are a variety of Alternate Media that can be delivered to the student based on the requirements of the student.

  • E-Text: Word Docs, PDFs, and Text files.
  • Large Print
  • Braille
  • Time-Based Media (Audio/Video)
    • Captioning
    • Transcripts

Request Alternate Media

Alternate media can only be requested if you are eligible to receive the accommodation based the documentation provided to the DSP&S office during the interactive process with your DSP&S counselor. If you are not eligible to receive Alternate Media, please contact your DSP&S counselor to discuss how to add this accommodation based on submitted documentation. Please note, if the documentation provided to register with the DSP&S office is not sufficient to add the accommodation, additional documentation will be required to support the request.

Request Alternate Media on DSP&S AIM Portal

Please follow the instructions below to request Alternate Media

  1. Login to the Clovis Community College Portal
  2. Select the “DSPS AIM Portal” app under “Apps Catalog”
  3. Make sure that the Faculty Notification Letter (FNL) is sent to your instructor by completing the “Select Accommodations for Your Class”
  4. Select “Alternate Formats” under the “My Accommodations” navigation link
  5. Select the textbooks that are required for your courses.
  6. Please revisit “Alternate Formats” to check the status of your textbooks.

PLEASE NOTE: This process will need to be completed every semester for each course.

Proof of Purchase or Proof of Possession for Textbooks

To receive Alternate Media of copyrighted materials such as textbooks, please note that either proof of purchase or possession will need to be submitted.

Proof of Purchase can include a physical receipt from a retailer such as the campus bookstore or an email confirmation from an online purchase. To show proof of purchase, please upload an image of the proof of purchase with picture ID to the DSP&S AIM Portal.

Proof of Possession can include having access to the physical copy of the textbooks where proof of purchase is not present. To show proof of possession, please upload an image of the textbook with picture ID to the DSP&S AIM Portal.

Please follow the instructions below to upload your Proof of Purchase or Proof of Possession:

  1. Login to the Clovis Community College Portal
  2. Select the “DSPS AIM Portal” app under “Apps Catalog”
  3. Make sure that the Faculty Notification Letter (FNL) is sent to your instructor by completing the “Select Accommodations for Your Class” on the “My Dashboard” home page
  4. Select “Alternate Formats” under the “My Accommodations” navigation link
  5. Navigate to the bottom of the website to “Upload Book Receipt”
  6. Select the file for your proof to upload
    1. Acceptable file types to upload (RTF, TXT, DOC/DOCX, XLS/XLSX, PPT/PPTX, PDF, PNG, JPEG, or JPG). Each file cannot not exceed 20MB.
  7. Select which course for the uploaded textbook proof and add a note if needed
  8. Select the “Upload Receipt” button.
  9. Please revisit “Alternate Formats” to check the status of your textbooks.

Immediate Access (IA)

Immediate Access (IA) are course materials that are digital or web versions of textbooks or other course related materials that can be accessed or purchased through third-party websites such as publishers or through Canvas. Students have the option to purchase the IA material or opt-out and purchase the material another way. Please explore your options and know that instructors may require the student to use the textbook offered through the third-party due to accessing content and submitting assignments.

Most IA companies do provide a read out loud option within the program/website. Please note, not all IA materials, including textbooks and assignments, are compatible with text-to-speech software, speech-to-text, and other Assistive Technology.

When will Alternate Media be received?

The general time frame for Alternative Media is between 1 to 6 weeks depending on the availability and quality of the original material.

If Alternate Media of a textbook is currently available at Clovis Community College, please allow 1-2 weeks after requesting the material AND submitting the proof of Purchase or Possession.

If a textbook is not available through Clovis Community College or other resources, the following options can be utilized:

  • The Alternate Media Specialist can convert your physical copy of the textbook through a high-speed scanning process.
    • PLEASE NOTE: If you choose this option, your book will have the binding removed and will be considered damaged, leaving the pages unattached. Clovis Community College is not responsible for any damaged materials during the conversion process. Textbooks that are checked out from the library or rented will not be considered for this option due to the student being responsible for the textbook by the original source.
  • The use of flatbed scanners located in the Adaptive Technology Center (ATC) are available to scan your book independently. This may require some instruction in the use of specific hardware and software applications.

How to utilize Alternate Media?

Students may receive the same course content in a different format due to their ability to access the course content. For example, a physical handout during an in-person course may be sufficient for one student, required to be enlarged for another student, converted to braille for another student, and be digitized to be read out loud utilizing text-to-speech for another student. Each student will receive the same course content; however, each will be presented to the student in an alternative way that is more accessible to them.

E-Text: Digital versions of their course materials that have access to plain text. E-Text can be paired with Assistive Technology such as Text-to-Speech, refreshable braille display, etc.

  • E-Text can be modified to only receive plain text without the original formatting if needed.
  • Text-to-Speech: e-Text will be paired with Assistive Software such as Kurzweil to have their content read out.

Enlarged/Magnified: Printed materials on Ledger sized paper, or e-Text versions of course materials that can be enlarged digitally.

Braille: Either grade 1 or grade 2 printed braille can be proved.

Kurzweil 3000

Kurzweil 3000 is a Text-to-Speech software that the DSP&S office offers students to access their course materials. Please make an appointment with the Alternative Media Specialist to learn how access your materials to be read out loud.

Please visit the DSP&S’s Adaptive Technology Center webpage for more information on Assistive Technology.

For more Information on Alternate Media, please contact:

Robert Salinas, Alternative Media Specialist

Need Assistance?

For more information, please visit DSP&S’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) or contact the DSP&S office by email at dsps@cloviscollege.edu or by phone at (559) 325-5050 for more information.