Welcome to the Accessible Media and Technology (AcMe) program within the Office of Disability Services (ODS). Whether you are a prospective student interested in attending JMU, a student considering registering with Disability Services, or a student already registered with ODS, we look forward to working with you and helping to answer any questions you may have.
Follow these links to learn more about specific AcMe accommodations:
- Audio Books & Electronic Text Accommodations
- Hearing Impairment Accommodations
- Visual Impairment Accommodations
Please note that AcMe’s services are only available to students registered with the Office of Disability Services with accommodations for accessible media. Individual accommodations are determined during registration meetings between the student and ODS practitioner. Please review ODS’s Getting Started page to begin the application process.
If you have any questions about AcMe, or if you have an AcMe accommodation and need assistance, please get in touch. We want your accommodations to work well for you. Make an appointment by contacting ODS at 540-568-6705 or disability-svcs@jmu.edu.
Audio Books and Electronic Text Accommodations
Students with an accommodation for print materials in digital or audio formats have a number of options within the Accessible Media and Technology program. Once you are registered with ODS and approved for accessible media accommodations, you will have a one-time intake meeting with AcMe staff to discuss your preferences, set up accounts, and find your books.
Once you’ve completed the intake meeting, future book requests can be submitted using AcMe’s online Request Form. Books can be requested anytime during the semester.
AcMe can also convert other course content into digital/audio formats as needed. For example, many classes use PDFs of articles as course readings. For assistance, please email AcMe at alt-media@jmu.edu
Audio Book Sources:The Accessible Media and Technology program can provide digital/audio books from several sources. Be aware that for some books, copyright laws require that the student purchase or rent the book before alternative formats can be provided. Please keep your receipts!
For students with the alternative formats accommodation, ODS can provide memberships in Bookshare, CaptiVoice, and Learning Ally, as needed.
- Bookshare– An online repository of books in a variety of formats. Bookshare books may be listened to using a variety of text-to-speech apps, but most JMU students listen using CaptiVoice.
- CaptiVoice– CaptiVoice is a web-based, text-to-speech and learning support program. CaptiVoice can read a wide variety of formats out loud, including text-based PDFs, Word documents, Bookshare books, websites, etc. For some formats, Capti also allows adjustment to the appearance of text, including color, contrast, and enlargement.
- Learning Ally– Audio books repository, many recorded by human readers. Learning Ally books are easy to navigate Daisy books, played using the Learning Ally app on computers or mobile devices.
Some other options do not require an ODS accommodations:
- SensusAccess is JMU’s document conversion tool. It allows you to make your own accessible formats. Use it to convert a PDF of a scanned document into a text file, Word document, MP3, or other format.
- Ebooks & online textbooks: many come with an audio option included, particularly those from Vitalsource and Red Shelf. Check before you buy.
- YouTube: a variety of audio books and plays.
- LibriVox: free public domain audio books
Hearing Impairment Accommodations
Students with hearing and/or auditory impairments may receive one or more of the following accommodations provided by the Accessible Media & Technology (AcMe) program.
- Captioning and transcription
- AcMe converts audio-based media into accessible formats for students with captioning and transcription accommodations. We work with your instructors ahead of time to ensure materials are accessible in a timely manner.
- Communication Access Real-Time (CART)
- CART, or live captioning, is the real-time translation of spoken word into text. It is similar to C-Print, although CART strives to capture spoken information verbatim. Students with this accommodation may request a captionist for any class or academic-related activity.
- Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs)
- ALDs are sometimes called personal listening devices (PLDs) or FM systems. This device usually consists of a microphone and receiver. Students with this accommodation are referred to the on-campus Audiology Clinic to be fitted for the device. Students check out their ALD from the clinic each semester and are able to use it in and out of class.
- ALDs are sometimes called personal listening devices (PLDs) or FM systems. This device usually consists of a microphone and receiver. Students with this accommodation are referred to the on-campus Audiology Clinic to be fitted for the device. Students check out their ALD from the clinic each semester and are able to use it in and out of class.
Once you have been approved for one of these accommodations, you will need to schedule an intake meeting with AcMe staff to determine how to best meet your accommodations.
Visual Impairment Accommodations
JMU is experienced in producing a wide array of tools to help accommodate those with blindness, low vision, and other vision-related considerations. After your registration meeting with a practitioner, Accessible Media will meet with you to assess your specific classroom needs, preferred formats, and course content. From there, we will work with you to develop a unique plan moving forward.
Some students meet with us once and their accessible media accommodations stay consistent and require little involvement with our office beyond our delivery of accessible content. For others, more routine communication, sometimes including professors, is necessary.
The range of print-related accommodations for peoples with visual considerations is vast. At JMU, we have worked in various capacities with the following:
- Braille
- Audio Books
- Screen Reader Friendly Documents
- Large-Print
- Manipulatives
- 3-D models
- Tactile Graphics
- Audio-Described Videos
- …and more!
