Alternative Format Text

Alternative formats are different ways of presenting printed or electronic documents to ensure equal access to information.

For Students: 

Library Accessibility Services (LAS) is a service for students who are registered with Student Accessibility Services (SAS). LAS can provide alternative format course materials, assistive technology access and instruction, accessible study space, and other services designed to help with reading, writing, notetaking, and studying. Learn more about how the library supports accessibility for all users with disabilities. 

What are alternative formats?

Alternative formats are different ways of presenting printed or electronic documents to ensure equal access to information. If you have a perceptual disability, you can use the Alternative-Format Request Form to request alternate formats of library resources.

LAS staff will:

  • Order textbooks in alternative formats (e.g., Braille, Tactile, MS Word, EPUB, or PDF files) from publishers and repositories.
  • Digitize or transcribe textbooks and course materials in-house, as required.
  • Arrange for captioning, transcripts or described video of third-party multi-media shown in class.

Requesting and accessing alternative formats

  • If you are registered with SAS and have a referral from your Advisor, LAS staff can help you obtain course readings in alternative formats and provide captioning and/or video description support as required. All alternative format requests should be submitted through the Alternative Formats tab in the SAS Student Portal.
  • Please review the captioning procedure for more information on how LAS provides captioning support.

Visit the LAS website for more information about:

  • Assistive Software and Technology 
  • Study Spaces for individual, quiet study

Book an appointment or contact las@uoguelph.ca

For Faculty & Instructors:

Preferred File Formats

  • MS Word (.doc/.docx) or Rich Text Format (RTF) is best.
  • PDFs can be harder for some students to use — we’ll let you know if it’s okay for a specific situation.

Tests and Exams

  • SAS will email you at least 3 days before a test or exam if a digital version is needed for a student.
  • If your exam has math symbols or formulas, a PDF may be accepted depending on the student’s software. We’ll tell you what format we need.
  • If you’re having trouble, please contact SAS — we’re here to help.

Assigned Readings & Textbooks

Students may also need digital versions of readings or textbooks.

The Library Accessibility Services team offers an Alternative-Format Request Form. They help students acquire:

  • Digitized books for screen readers
  • Braille or audio versions
  • Other accessible formats

Note: It can take 4 to 6 weeks to get some materials, so we may contact you before the semester starts to help identify required course texts.

Questions?

We’ll guide you through what’s needed for your course. Contact SAS if you have any questions about alternative format requests via email at sas@uoguelph.ca or 519-824-4120 Ext. 56208 (M-F 8:30 am - 4:30 pm)