Diskette

Staff Time
Requests for information that is formatted and distributed via a diskette are growing. This is due to the increase in computer systems that are augmented by synthetic speech readers that can read words in addition to displaying them visually. Many people with visual impairments or learning disabilities find this format to ease their access to information. The amount of staff time required to produce diskette formats is relatively low, involving only the preparation of the information and the transference to a diskette.

Equipment
Most computers have word processing packages that allow information to be saved as an ASCII file. Many computers today are available with several drives that can be used to transfer ASCII files onto diskettes. Most computers that are not so equipped can be augmented with an additional drive that will allow this transfer to occur.

Costs
The costs of producing diskettes are low compared to many other formats. Diskettes are manufactured in 3.5 and 5.25 inch forms are available in both high density and double density. Diskettes can be purchased for less than $1 each. If one is purchasing an additional low-end external disk drive for a computer, it will cost approximately $150 to $300. No cost is usually associated with the transfer of information in ASCII to a diskette.

Effort
Once a word processed version has been produced, limited effort is usually required to prepare the material for transfer to the diskette form. The actual conversion process is automatically done by the computer system when the proper commands have been used.

Resources
Many software packages include a telephone number for technical support. In addition, most software comes with manuals that can usually be helpful in determining how to convert from the word processed version to an ASCII version. If all else fails, you can usually contact local vendors that sell word processing software and obtain some technical assistance in using the software.

Helpful Hints About Preparing Materials for Diskette

1. Determine with what size diskette your user needs. Typical diskettes come in either 3.5 or 5.25 inch sizes.
2. Convert symbols, icons, graphics, tables, pictorials, and abbreviations to text.
3. Do not include extra blank lines in your text. Indicate new paragraphs with the use of one tab.
4. Convert columns to continuous text.
5. Eliminate the use of stylistic factors such as bold type, underlining, and special symbols.

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