The Texas Text Exchange (TTE) is a consortium of disability service providers who share electronic texts (e-texts) with each other. These e-texts are used exclusively to accommodate qualified students with disabilities. The TTE also provides information related to the creation and use of e-texts.
The TTE maintains an online digital library of e-texts. The library is administered by Adaptive Technology Services at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. Holdings are accessible only by TTE consortium members who are disability service providers at their respective institutions. Students cannot directly access the TTE holdings. There is no cost to participate in the TTE.
Mission
The mission of the TTE is to provide a medium to exchange information, support, and materials related to adaptive reading accommodations for students with disabilities in Texas. The TTE has 3 basic objectives:
- Create, administer, and maintain an online digital library of educational materials for exclusive use by students with disabilities.
- Educate disability service providers in the effective use of e-text as an accommodation for students with disabilities.
- Provide information and training in the creation of e-text.
Background
The TTE was first conceived in 1995 by David Sweeney, who was the Coordinator of Adaptive Technology Services (ATS) at Texas A&M University. Many students with disabilities used cassette recordings of books. The cassettes are relatively expensive, difficult to use, and require a high degree of logistical support to obtain, distribute, use, and return.
ATS realized that text-to-speech technology could be used as a viable alternative to books-on-tape – not only a comparable technology, but in many ways a superior one. Many institutions have begun to produce and support scanned educational material. Among these, Texas A&M University was the first to offer a comprehensive e-text scanning program for students with learning, attentional, visual, and neurological disabilities. These disabilities account for more than 70% of students with disabilities in higher education.
A natural outcome of the e-text program was to share e-text holdings with other institutions. This would reduce duplication of effort and greatly enhance disability service providers’ ability to accommodate students. New changes in the copyright law passed in 1996 paved the way for the creation of the Texas Text Exchange.
Status
The TTE is accepting applications for membership. You may request a hardcopy of the TTE Consortium Member Agreement by writing to the address below, or you may download a copy of the agreement from the TTE website listed below.
The TTE website, which consists of the digital library and related information, is now available. Texas A&M has over 1250 books available online for its own students and adds approximately 200 books each academic year. Texas A&M has and continues to make these holdings available to the TTE membership and accepts e-text donations from consortium members.
Needs
The three most pressing needs of the project are (in order of importance):
- Additional (hopefully favorable) legal opinions and grassroots support from public educational entities and legal entitites.
- Cooperative relationships with e-text creators. This includes publishers, instructors, and educational entities.
- Funding. The most immediate needs are travel funds for TTE personnel and mass storage media for TTE holdings.
For More Information
Texas Text Exchange
c/o Tracey Forman
Adaptive Technology Services
Department of Disability Services
Texas A&M University
Cain Hall B118, 1224 TAMU
College Station, Texas 77843-1224
USAPhone:
phone: (979) 845-0390
fax: (979) 458-1214Internet:
website: http://tte.tamu.edu/
email: ats@disabilitytamu.edu