[Athen] Pearson Pushing VitalSource after ATN denial

[chagnon at pubcom.com]

Susan, I’ll add my loud voice to yours!  You are the customer. You get to
buy the products you need.

 

EPUBs are a solution for some people, but not the end-all for everyone. It’s
just one tool that should be in our toolboxes.

 

Unless you create the most simple, visually boring EPUB, it will have
rendering problems on many of today’s devices and technologies (this has
been discussed on this list in the past). For anything more, you’ll need
time and a team of coders behind you to tweak the EPUB into a workable
design.

 

Most in academia don’t have an extra day or a stable of programmers behind
us to do this. Publishing houses probably automated their workflows to
generate the EPUB quickly and cheaply, which might be why they are insisting
on the format.

 

And as a professional designer who has studied design and human behavior for
decades, the EPUB format doesn’t give sighted users the ease of use (and
understanding) that can come from a well-designed visual layout.

 

We don’t need documents that meet the needs of only one group of people; we
need different formats to meet everyone’s needs.

 

In time, the EPUB format will mature: the forthcoming new standards will
help. Adobe and other companies will develop better tools for creating EPUBs
from office, desktop publishing, and CMS software. Device manufactures and
assistive technologies will also stop peddling their proprietary technology
and join the fold.

 

But all of that is still a few years away.

 

— — —

Bevi Chagnon, founder/CEO  |   <mailto:Bevi at PubCom.com> Bevi at PubCom.com 

— — —

PubCom: Technologists for Accessible Design + Publishing

consulting • training • development • design • sec. 508 services

Upcoming classes at  <http://www.pubcom.com/classes> www.PubCom.com/classes 

— — —

 
<https://mailchi.mp/ff5bd323ea45/newsletter-accessibility-fonts-design-upcom
ing-classes-2901237> Latest blog-newsletter – Accessibility Tips at
<http://www.PubCom.com/blog> www.PubCom.com/blog 

 

From: athen-list <athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu> On Behalf
Of Susan Kelmer
Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2019 4:23 PM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network <athen-list at u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: [Athen] Pearson Pushing VitalSource after ATN denial

 

Russell, yes, you are correct.  They are getting messages from some that
ePub is perfect, wonderful, the NEW WAY!  And those voices are loud.
Publishers believe those voices.

 

If they’d just asked, they would know that an ePub is a format they can use,
sometimes, but that sometimes, they cannot.  Bottom line:  They need to
respond to what our request is for, rather than to push us to a format we
didn’t ask for.

 

Also, my voice is loud.  We need more loud voices.

 

Susan Kelmer

Alternate Format Production Program Manager

Disability Services

University of Colorado Boulder

303-735-4836

 

 

 

From: athen-list <athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu
<mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu> > On Behalf Of
Russell Solowoniuk
Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2019 2:17 PM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network <athen-list at u.washington.edu
<mailto:athen-list at u.washington.edu> >
Subject: Re: [Athen] Pearson Pushing VitalSource after ATN denial

 

Hi Susan,

 

I agree totally with what you say. We’re in Canada so can’t get Pearson US
titles through ATN. We still need to use the online form, which, by the way,
now doesn’t accept Canadian postal codes in the form, so we must use 99999,
not a big deal, just wonder why.

 

We have been getting the “this title is available via Vital Source” message
back occasionally, and each time we do, we write back with an explanation of
why this won’t work for the majority of our students who use RWG. The end up
sending us a PDF, but it adds days to the turnaround time.

 

It seems that perhaps publishers are getting mixed messages from people who
seem to think that ePub is the best format out there for everyone.

 

Keep up the good fight!

 

Russell

 

Russell Solowoniuk

AT Educational Assistant, Services to Students with Disabilities

MacEwan University

7-198 D4, 10700-104 Ave.

Edmonton, AB  T5J 4S2

E: solowoniukr at macewan.ca <mailto:solowoniukr at macewan.ca> 

T:  780-497-5826

F:  780-497-4018

macewan.ca



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From: athen-list <athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu
<mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu> > On Behalf Of Susan
Kelmer
Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2019 3:40 PM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network <athen-list at u.washington.edu
<mailto:athen-list at u.washington.edu> >
Subject: Re: [Athen] Pearson Pushing VitalSource after ATN denial

 

I have heard this same crap from Pearson through my contact (which is
probably the same).  By now, they have heard the “whys” and yes, they are
being literal roadblocks to providing what we ask for.

 

When we request a PDF through ATN, we get it next-day (unless that title is
on VitalSource, then we have to do the end run or workaround, which takes
weeks, if they even respond at all).  

 

So no, they are not “committed” to getting us what we need.  If it isn’t in
their tiny little definition of what they want to provide, we get the
runaround, and the 20 questions, and really this just delays us getting what
we need for our student.  That is what I wish they would understand.  We
aren’t asking for a PDF because we don’t know any better. We are asking for
a PDF because that is what we need to do what we do for the student.

 

If anyone wants the contact with Pearson directly, please email me off-list,
I’m happy to share my contact’s information.

 

Susan Kelmer

Alternate Format Production Program Manager

Disability Services

University of Colorado Boulder

303-735-4836

 

 

 

From: athen-list <athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu
<mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu> > On Behalf Of George
Kerscher
Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2019 3:29 PM
To: 'Access Technology Higher Education Network'
<athen-list at u.washington.edu <mailto:athen-list at u.washington.edu> >
Subject: Re: [Athen] Pearson Pushing VitalSource after ATN denial

 

Hello,

 

I reached out to folks at Pearson to get some clarification. Here is what I
was told:

Begin email from Pearson rep

if a student needs a PDF for accessibility purposes we will provide it.
We're not in the business of denying anyone access to what they need for
learning. As you are aware we've partnered with Vitalsource to provide
accessible ePubs to students and in most cases this does meet their needs.
When it doesn't, we ask why - not to "get in the way" but to try to
understand the needs of the student in question. 

 

While we do ask for "Proof of purchase" it isn't to identify the students -
we are as concerned with privacy as anyone else. I'll look at the messaging
we use to see if we can do a better job communicating.  

 

As to his two week wait. we have internal approval processes in place before
we let PDF's out the door. Those processes are in place to help insure that
we protect the IP rights of our authors. Sometimes this does slow things
down but we are currently active in trying to improve those processes and
reduce the time necessary to deliver the PDF's. 

 

I hope that helps, please feel free to reach out with any questions. 

End of email from Pearson rep.

 

I was also told if anybody would like to communicate directly, send me
(kerscher at montana.com <mailto:kerscher at montana.com> ) and I will forward the
request to my contact.

 

Best

George

 




 

 

From: athen-list <athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu
<mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu> > On Behalf Of
Deborah Armstrong
Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2019 10:55 AM
To: 'Access Technology Higher Education Network'
<athen-list at u.washington.edu <mailto:athen-list at u.washington.edu> >
Subject: Re: [Athen] Pearson Pushing VitalSource after ATN denial

 

Just to give you comfort, the same thing has happened to me six times so
far. Three of those times, luckily the student fell in love with
VitalSource. The other three times, I had to do the
proof-of-purchase-big-argument-thing!

 

For me, the bigger problem is when a student’s textbook is an ebook only,
integrated with the LMS. Pearson’s beginning to do that a lot now, and so is
Cengage. If a student has a book I can scan, then it’s much easier. 

 

--Debee

 

 

 

 

From: athen-list <athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu
<mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu> > On Behalf Of
Sorensen, Neal B
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2019 1:55 PM
To: athen-list at u.washington.edu <mailto:athen-list at u.washington.edu> 
Subject: [Athen] Pearson Pushing VitalSource after ATN denial

 

Hi All,

 

I’m writing to see if anyone else has encountered a problem like this with
(our dear friend) Pearson. Here’s the story. I made a request on AccessText
Network for Microeconomics by Pindyck and Rubinfeld, and the request was
denied. I received a follow-up e-mail at the same time saying the title is
available on VitalSource, and the student could sent a proof-of-purchase
directly to Pearson to get a free access code for their book. Now, I have
NEVER had to provide a proof-of-purchase to get any book on AccessText
Network. Their follow-up also suggested contacting the Pearson disability
support office if the student is “using an assistive technology other than a
screen reader.” The request has been approved by their permissions and now
I’m just waiting for the book.

 

This is unacceptable of Pearson. Thankfully the student has tried to use
textbooks only accessible online before, and knows the PDF is better for his
needs. I’ve been waiting almost two weeks now for this book (I got a
customer satisfaction survey before I got the book). What is mildly
infuriating about all this is that I know they have the book in PDF
 I mean,
it’s on VitalSource so they have electronic versions! Why not just give me
the PDF? 

 

Additionally, why would I give Pearson the identity of my student? We are
bound to confidentiality, and asking the student to identify themselves to
the publisher is not necessary. This just goes to show that the major
publishers will always try new ideas that don’t make sense, and that it is
important to push back against those ideas when we encounter them! 

 

Neal Sorensen

Access Specialist

Accessibility Resources

Minnesota State University, Mankato

132 Memorial Library

Mankato, MN 56001

 

Phone: 507-389-5242

FAX: 507-389-1199

Email: neal.sorensen at mnsu.edu <mailto:neal.sorensen at mnsu.edu> 

 



 

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