Alternate Format Textbooks

Student Accessibility assists students with print-related disabilities in obtaining alternate format textbook materials (i.e. e-books, braille).

Eligibility 

In order to qualify for alternate format materials, students must be registered with Student Accessibility and have a documented print-related disability. A print-related disability can be a specific Learning Disability that impacts reading, a physical disability that prevents an individual from holding or navigating a book, or a visual disability.

Receiving alternate format materials can take up to 6 weeks depending on the timelines of publishers and Student Accessibility workloads. Before proceeding with an alternate format request, please check if your textbooks are available for purchase in your required format. Suggestions to explore include the U of R Campus Store, Amazon, and Google Books. Many publishers also offer direct purchase or download through their websites.

To request alternate format textbooks:

  • Log into UR Self-Service to access your textbook list. If your textbook information is not available through UR Self-Service, contact your instructor directly to request this information.  
  • Once you have located your textbook information and purchased print copies, you can request your books online through Accommodate under "Alternate Format Request" or by emailing the following information to accessibility@uregina.ca.
  • Book title, Author, ISBN, Publisher, Proof of purchase, and format required.
  • You must provide proof of purchase before any alternate format materials can be released to you. Receipts can be uploaded to Accommodate, dropped off in-person, or emailed.
  • An Accessibility Officer will contact you by email if any information is missing. Requests with missing information cannot be processed.
  • Once your materials are received, you will be notified through email that your materials are available for download or pick-up.

Helpful Resources

Book Platforms:

VitalSource Bookshelf - https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/user/signin

Bookshare - https://www.bookshare.org/cms/

Open Textbook Library - https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/

RedShelf - https://redshelf.com/

Reading Software:

NaturalReader (free) - https://www.naturalreaders.com/

Speechify (free) - https://speechify.com/

Thorium Reader (free) - https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/p/thorium-reader/9nfzp1g7m2sc?activetab=pivot:overviewtab

Read & Write - https://www.texthelp.com/products/read-and-write-education/

Kurzweil - https://www.kurzweiledu.com/products/products.html

CELA (for students with visual impairments) - https://celalibrary.ca/