College of the Redwoods creates CD catalog

From: Times-Standard, CA - Dec 27, 2003

By The Times-Standard

EUREKA -- College of the Redwoods has put its course catalog for 2003-2004 on a compact disc accessible to people with vision and hearing disabilities.

The CR Communications and Marketing Department, with assistance from Disabled Students Programs and Services technical specialists, created the catalog CD entirely in-house. It includes text and photos, as well as captioning for the welcoming video that makes it accessible for people with hearing disabilities. It is also formatted so that people with sight disabilities can use the Job Access with Speech software, which plays the text out loud.

"By having the catalog CD in an accessible format for populations with specific disabilities, the college is sending a strong message about institutional commitment to access and creating diversity on our campus," said CR Director of Disabled Students Programs and Services Tracey Thomas.

Director of Communications and Marketing Paul DeMark said the catalog has been an extremely popular item with CR students and faculty since it became available in early December.

"Since it is produced 100 percent on campus -- including the burning of and printing on the CDs -- it costs a fraction to make and mail compared to the hard-copy version, which we also offer," DeMark said.

He added that an e-mail survey of other California community colleges found just one other institution, Golden West College in Huntington Beach, which has created a similarly accessible CD. Golden West's was released in fall 2003.

For information on CR's CD catalog, call CR's Counseling and Advising Center at 476-4150.

© 2003 Times - Standard