The primary mission of the Alternate Text Production Center (ATPC) is to assure the timely availability of alternate media for use by California Community College students with print-related disabilities. The ATPC augments and supports the alternate media services that California Community Colleges currently provide; ATPC does not supplant efforts of colleges to address the needs of their disabled students. Section 67302 of the California Education Code (AB 422) requires every individual, firm, partnership or corporation publishing or manufacturing printed instructional materials, as defined, for students attending a California Community College to provide to the college, or particular campus of the college, for use by students at no additional cost and in a timely manner any printed instructional material in unencrypted electronic form upon the receipt of a written request, provided the college complies with certain conditions. The Alternate Text Production Center of the California Community Colleges may process requests for electronic versions of instructional material at the request and on behalf of a California Community College.

The ATPC proposes the following general policy for the acquisition and production of electronic text. This policy shall be reviewed and modified on an ongoing basis.

1. The Alternate Text Production Center (ATPC) will request e-text directly from publishers for all requests submitted through the ATPC online ordering process provided all request procedures have been met.
2. Upon receipt of the initial request, the ATPC will make every effort to acquire e-text in a timely manner and in a usable format. The Center will contact and monitor the publisher via telephone, email and/or fax in an attempt to have them comply with California’s Ed Code requirements and the ATPC’s obligation to acquire material for students with print disabilities. Below is a sample request letter to the publisher
   

   
        Dear Publisher,
        
        I am writing to request the electronic text of a _________ book on behalf
        of a student with a print-disability at _____________College in
        California. This request is in compliance with California Education Code
        Section 67302:
        
        The student has a disability that prevents him or her from using standard
        instructional materials. The electronic text is for use by the student in
        connection with a course in which he or she is registered or enrolled at
        __________________College.
        
        Please note: ________________College has purchased a copy of the 
        book for use by the student or the student has purchased the book. The 
        book that the student needs access to is: 
        
   
        Title: ____________________
        Author: ___________________
        Publication Date or Edition: ___
        ISBN: ____________________
        
        The ATPC is a centralized resource for the request and distribution of
        electronic text as authorized by the Chancellor’s Office of the California
        Community Colleges. The disk or file containing the electronic version of
        the book will be copy-protected and precautions will be taken to ensure
        the student does not copy or distribute the electronic version of the
        instructional materials in violation of the Copyright Act. The student is
        aware they may not copy or redistribute the files in any form.
        
        If electronic files are not available, the student’s hardcopy will have to
        be unbound and scanned, so a reference hardcopy would be helpful.
        
        Sincerely, 
        
   
   
   
        ATPC E-text Coordinator 
   
        

3. Also at the time of the initial request, the ATPC requests a free reference copy of the learning materials. If received, the material is automatically scanned and the raw file sent to the school.
• If the request is for unformatted products, the job request is considered fulfilled, unless further requests are made form the school
• In addition, if the request is for formatted products, the ATPC will begin formatting the text and request the syllabus from the school.
4. No later than 3 weeks after the initial request date, with continuous monitoring and coordination with the publisher to acquire the material, the ATPC will provide request status.
   At this time, scanning of the hardcopy text will typically be recommended. The college has several options.
• Continue to wait for the publisher electronic products.
• Submit the syllabus and a hard copy of the text to the ATPC for scanning.
• Scan material locally.
5. The ATPC may purchase the book for scanning if circumstances warrant, the college makes the request, and the request is in compliance with Ed Code 67302 requirements as noted in the e-text request forms to include,
• Certification that the learning institution or student has purchased the instructional material that is “required and essential to student success”
• Certification of student disability preventing the use of standard instructional material
• Certification that the instructional material is connected to the student’s registered class
• Required and essential to the student’s success
• Primarily for use by students in postsecondary instruction
• Does not include nontextual mathematics and science material.
• Is authorized by a college official responsible for monitoring ADA compliance at the learning institution
6. Requesting colleges will be responsible for checking their account status by accessing the ATPC website.
7. Requesting colleges can, at any time, submit hard copy materials for the production of e-text; hard copy materials are required for the production of all formatted e-text. (hard copy materials = text and syllabus)
8. At the end of six weeks final resolution will be made for all requests for electronic text. Unless requested otherwise by the college, the college’s request with the ATPC will be cancelled and the status noted.
9. E-text requests will continuously be monitored for legal compliance; i.e. requests that are non-exempt from California Education Code, Section 67302.