36 CFR Part 1193 Telecommunications Act (Section 255) Accessibility Guidelines

Cassette Recordings

9. Some persons who are blind or who have learning disabilities may require documentation on audio cassettes. Audio materials can be produced commercially or in-house. Agencies sometimes record material in-house and purchase a high speed tape duplicator ($1,000- 2,000) which is used to make cassette copies from the master. The cost of a duplicator can be higher depending upon the number of copies produced on a single run, and whether the duplicator can produce standard speed two-sided copies or half-speed four-sided copies. Although unit costs can be reduced by using the four-track, half-speed format, this will require the reader to use a specially designed playback machine. Tapes should be produced with "tone indexing" to allow a user to skip back and forth from one section to another. By following a few simple guidelines for selecting readers and creating recordings, most organizations will be able to successfully record most simple documents.

10. Further guidance in making cassette recordings includes:

a. The reader should be proficient in the language being recorded.

b. The reader should be familiar with the subject. Someone who is somewhat familiar with the technical aspects of a product but who can explain functions in ordinary language would be a logical person to record an audio cassette.

c. The reader should have good diction. Recording should be done in a conversational tone and at a conversational pace; neither too slow nor too fast.

d. The reader should be familiar with the material to minimize stumbling and hesitation.

e. The reader should not editorialize. When recording a document, it should be read in full. Graphic and pictorial information available to sighted readers should be described in the narrated text. Tables and charts whose contents are not already contained in text should be converted into text and included in the recording.

f. The reader should spell difficult or unusual words and words of foreign origin.

g. At the beginning of the tape, identify the reader, i.e., "This document is being read by John Smith."

h. On each side of the tape, identify the document and the page number where the reader is continuing, i.e., "tape 2, side 1, Guide to Barrier Free Meetings, continuing on page 75."

i. For blind users, all cassettes should be labeled in Braille so that they can easily be referenced in the appropriate order.