[Nfb-science] New Chemistry Book Available

[Cary Supalo]

Here is something I received from a friend who wanted me to promote 
this new accessible chemistry book. There will be several 
presentations on this topic at the National Convention. Please feel 
free to forward this to anyone who you think might be interested.
Cary Supalo
Chemistry in the Community, New Digital Talking Book

In collaboration with gh, LLC, (an assistive technology company) the 
American Chemical Society has converted its high school chemistry 
textbook Chemistry in the Community into a digital talking book (DTB) 
format. This will be the first digital talking chemistry textbook on 
the market and is designed to help students who are blind or visual 
impaired study chemistry along with their sighted peers.  Chemistry 
in the Community, DTB will also be a powerful tool for students who 
have reading difficulties or for whom English is a second language.

Converting a high school chemistry textbook into a DTB presented 
interesting  challenges for ACS Education Division and gh staff, as 
chemistry textbooks contain unique features which must be accurately 
represented in the digital reading of the text.   For example, the 
pictorial nature of a chemistry textbook (illustrations, figures, 
tables, graphs, molecular models, formulas and equations) makes the 
use of a "text only" access method ineffective.  In order to make a 
chemistry text actually usable, the essential graphics need to be 
communicated so they can be understood by a student who is blind or 
visually impaired.

A careful review of the initial drafts of the product revealed the 
nuances of reading dimensional analysis, stock method naming, ionic 
charges, and catalyzed reactions.  These items were addressed along 
with the other graphic elements to create a product that is now ready 
for field tests.

ACS is currently looking for interested teachers and students to help 
with this phase of the project.  Teachers of blind and visual 
impaired students will be asked to use the DTB in their classrooms 
during the spring and early summer and to provide valuable input on 
the usability and effectiveness of the product.  Student input 
regarding usability will also be solicited. The final digital talking 
book is expected to be released in the fall following the completion 
of the field tests. If you are interested in field testing this 
exciting new product please contact chemcom at acs.org.