University of Tasmania, Australia

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Print Disabled Students

UTAS Home › Library › Copyright › Teaching and Copyright  › Print Disabled Students

The University of Tasmania is defined as an institution assisting persons with a print disability under the Copyright Act. This means that the University can copy and communicate certain copyright material in an accessible format for students with a print disability under Part VB of the Copyright Act. There are some limitations and conditions and these are discussed below.

What is considered a print disability?

Under the Copyright Act a person is defined as having a print disability if they:

  • are without sight or severely sight impaired;
  • are unable to hold or manipulate printed material, or focus or move their eyes; or
  • have a perceptual or other disability which limits their ability to follow a line of print or which affects their concentration.

What are accessible formats?

Five formats are specified

  • sound recordings;
  • Braille versions;
  • large print versions;
  • photographic versions; and
  • electronic versions - HTML, ASCII, XML etc.

What kind of work can be copied?

Works may be in electronic or hardcopy form and may include materials such as published letters, e-mails, articles, novels, poetry, song lyrics, timetables, databases and computer programs.

The statutory licence does not cover artistic or musical works. Artistic works include drawings, photographs, diagrams and maps, as well as paintings, sculptures, sketches, blueprints, plans, and buildings or models of buildings. However, artistic works that are incidental – such as a graph on a page illustrating a point in the accompanying text – can be copied along with the text.

The procedures and processes are more complicated than for standard multiple copying for students. Copying for persons with print disabilities is performed by Student Services and the Library. Academic staff who need to copy documents for a person with a print disability should contact their liaison librarian. A list of the liaison librarians for different subject areas can be accessed on the Liaison Services web page.

Library staff can follow further procedures via the CADA Team Wiki.