Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Anyone tried book scanning? (self.Blind)
submitted by B-dub31
I'm partially sighted and cannot read average-sized text without magnification, so I use the Magnifier app on my iPhone and iPad because the color inversion option reduces my eyestrain immensely. There are some books and other materials I have that are not available digitally. I'm wondering if anyone here has experience scanning or using a service to scan books to a digital format like PDF. I would like to have some of these files stored on my iPad for use in things like teaching Bible study where using a magnifier on the book just isn't practical. I'm tech savvy and my son can perform the scanning for me, I'm just not sure on what equipment or software would create the best outcome.
WoodenCartoon 3 points 4y ago
When I was in college, I had a couple of solutions. This was for college textbooks, so not an option for everything. My school offered a service where they would contact the publisher for a digital copy. If the publisher refused, they would use a high speed scanner (which involves cutting the binding off) and they would then give me a CD copy.
Another option I used was kurzweil. I scanned the pages manually, and I could create a multipage OCR'd copy. It also has the option to speak it. I would use that to listen to the audio saved as an mp3
Another option I used was kurzweil. I scanned the pages manually, and I could create a multipage OCR'd copy. It also has the option to speak it. I would use that to listen to the audio saved as an mp3
B-dub31 [OP] 2 points 4y ago
I’ve been weighing going back to school to retrain for a new field. Was it a huge hassle to get accommodations from your instructors? How easy was it to obtain the needed materials?
WoodenCartoon 2 points 4y ago
For me, it depended on the department. My math classes were the worst, compared to all the ones I interacted with. Smaller classes/departments are usually better, since you can a better relationship with professors.
I think different fields require different kinds of accommodations. I took a lot of math and physics classes. In those, most tests was just reading a sentence or two, then working for half an hour on a problem. That was easier for me than subjects like psychology which involves a lot more reading during tests.
Just be a person, talk with them, let them know what you need. Most people will want to help, and if they don't, there is always the disability office.
I think different fields require different kinds of accommodations. I took a lot of math and physics classes. In those, most tests was just reading a sentence or two, then working for half an hour on a problem. That was easier for me than subjects like psychology which involves a lot more reading during tests.
Just be a person, talk with them, let them know what you need. Most people will want to help, and if they don't, there is always the disability office.
codeofdusk 3 points 4y ago
I've used $1 for destructive book scanning. I'd recommend the premium option (better safe than sorry) for higher OCR accuracy. Works reasonably for text, less so for technical material (i.e. with mathematical formulae). Non-destructive may be a viable option if you absolutely need to keep the book intact, but quality will presumably be lower. I'm totally blind, so OCR accuracy is very important – if all you need is images, your requirements might be less.
B-dub31 [OP] 1 points 4y ago
This may be the route I go. It’s not cheap per se, but it looks like an easy way to achieve a good outcome. Thanks for pointing me toward this service!
Namrakk 2 points 4y ago
I’ve used this service to scan textbooks in the past. I found them to be on the cheaper end, and I was happy with the results. http://bookscan.us/index.html
vwlsmssng 2 points 4y ago
$1 is expensive but capable. Some times you get a cut-down version $1
If you are dealing with sheets of paper then a scanner with an automatic document feeder (ADF) is a lot of help, especially if it works double sided. Scanning books is always fiddly because they just won't lie flat and you can't use an ADF.
There are alternatives, these are just the solutions I'm familiar with.
If you are dealing with sheets of paper then a scanner with an automatic document feeder (ADF) is a lot of help, especially if it works double sided. Scanning books is always fiddly because they just won't lie flat and you can't use an ADF.
There are alternatives, these are just the solutions I'm familiar with.
HDMILex 2 points 4y ago
Agreed. ABBY Fine Reader is an excellent app for high-accuracy scanning.
marklemores 1 points 4y ago
Im not sure about some of these services but I was able to get some audiobook files made up by www.custombookscanning.com
For those books that dont have audio versions I found this invaluable and the voices sounded very natural also.
For those books that dont have audio versions I found this invaluable and the voices sounded very natural also.
Jynx2706 1 points 4y ago
These guys are great for scanning your precious items you don't want destroyed. They will scan your books, notebooks, drawings, newspapers, or pretty much anything you have. They use the same professional equipment that University Libraries and Archives use. Highly recommend. Then everything gets mailed back to you.
$1
$1
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