SWWHEP Transcription Centre

This collaboration project makes use of the existing services in Swansea University’s Transcription Centre to provide a full transcription service for visually impaired students at all three partner institutions.  The Centre, which forms part of Swansea University's Library and Information Services, is run by five members of staff who work closely with Disability Librarians and Student Services staff at all three partner institutions.  The Transcription Centre liaises with the visually impaired students, their academic tutors and support staff, as well as with external organisations to provide the most appropriate and efficient support.

The Centre's aim is to provide visually impaired students with texts in their preferred format – digital audio, braille, large print, tactile or electronic format - as quickly as possible.  In addition to recording complete books the Transcription Centre also transcribes handouts, extracts from books and journal articles into whatever format is required.  Publicity material (prospectuses, leaflets and student guides) are automatically transcribed for the partner institutions and prospective students are able to visit the Centre to discuss their future support needs.

Reading is done by approximately 100 volunteers who give up an hour a week to record academic texts requested by students.  The Centre recruits volunteers with expertise in the students' chosen subject areas and uses native speakers for foreign language recordings.  Because the Centre archives its DAISY recordings with the RNIB national library, visually impaired students at SU, SMU and TCC are entitled to free membership of the RNIB Digital Talking Book Service.