Alternative Format Services | Department of Student Support and Transitions

Upon request, OAS provides Alternative Formats (Alt-Formats) to eligible students. Students may be approved to receive Alt-Formats of required textbooks, assigned readings, instructor slides, class handouts (not including lecture notes), and exam materials. Only the materials specified in the approved accommodations (e.g. "Textbooks and Other Course Readings" or "Alternative Testing" – "Alternative Format") may be provided in an Alt-Format. If you have any questions about Alt-Format accommodations, please reach out to AT_Lab_OAS@fsu.edu.

Important: To prevent delays, students who need specialized textbook formats (e.g. Braille, large text, etc.) should reach out to AT_Lab_OAS@fsu.edu as soon as possible (preferably at least 6 weeks prior to the term) to allow for in-house transcription and/or vendor processing. If textbook information is not available, please reach out to the course instructor or department to request textbook information.

What are Alt-Format accommodations?

Students are approved for Alt-Format accommodations based on demonstrated need for assigned readings to be in specific accessible formats. Descriptions of each type of Alt-Format accommodation are listed on our Accommodation Descriptions and Responsibilities page under "Alternative Formats – Textbooks and Other Course Readings" and "Alternative Testing" as "Alternative Format –" with the type of format specified.

How do I Request Alt-Format materials?

When an "Alternative Formats – Textbooks and other course readings" accommodation is included in an Accommodation Letter for a course, a request is automatically submitted for each required book for that course listed with Bill's Bookstore. Students can also submit or cancel Alt-Format requests using the instructions below.

What happens once an Alt-Format Request is submitted?

OAS staff will reach out about all requests to the student's FSU email address to confirm specific needs and give instructions for next steps. Depending on the availability of the materials, the emails will typically do one of the following:

Request a receipt documenting proof of purchase, which is typically required for publishers to provide an alternative format.
- Uploading a Book Receipt
- When OAS receives an Alt-Format book from a publisher, digital copies will be sent to the student's FSU email address through NiFTy.
Inform the student that the book is available through the Follett Access program, which offers digitally accessible versions of textbooks for a discounted price included in course fees.
Provide the student with information about accessing the book if it is available through Bookshare.
- When books are available through Bookshare, OAS will offer to create a member account for the student. Once the student confirms they would like to use Bookshare, OAS will create a username and password for the student, send the login information to their FSU email address, and "assign" the books to their account.
- Bookshare materials are typically available in the following formats:
  - EPUB Text files
  - DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System)
  - BRF (Braille Ready Format)
  - MP3DAISY Audio
  - Word files

When can I expect to receive requested Alt-Format materials?

Students can typically expect to receive their Alt-Format materials within two to six weeks of the request date. Requests are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. However, Alt-Format processing times vary depending on a several factors, including, but not limited to:

complexity of the accessible format needed,
complexity of the material
original format
availability through Bookshare and other vendors
publishers' practices regarding the creation and distribution of Alt-Formats of their materials.

Make sure to check the OAS Portal regularly and stay in contact via AT_Lab_OAS@fsu.edu to ensure you know the status of your request(s).