Students with disabilities and SLD

The University Library System, in collaboration with the University of Turin's Office for Students with Special Needs, is committed to welcoming students with disabilities or Specific Learning Difficulties (SLD) to its premises and offering them the following services.
 
Accessible libraries
The University of Turin libraries aim to provide their users with spaces that are as accessible as possible. 
For detailed information on the accessibility of premises, reception and any instrumental facilities, please visit the libraries website.
For special needs, please contact the individual libraries and the Office for Students with Special Needs.
Accessible format texts
Copyright Law No. 633/1941, updated by Law No. 37/2019, provides that authorised entities may make a copy in accessible format of a work or other material to which they have lawful access (Art. 71-bis, para. 2-quinquies), on a non-profit basis.
The University of Turin, as an authorised entity, offers a service of retrieval and supply of examination texts in accessible format.
In particular, the service provides:
  • the retrieval and supply of material already in digital format;
  • the supply in digital format of paper texts held by the University libraries;
  • the retrieval and supply in digital format of bibliographic material not held in the University libraries.

 

Who the service is addressed to
In accordance with legal provisions, the service is aimed at students with dyslexia, visual impairment or physical-motor disabilities that make it difficult to use printed books, or with other difficulties in reading printed texts.
Those who find themselves in one of these conditions will have to submit the relevant documentation to the Office for Students with Special Needs.

 

How the service is provided
To use the service, you need to activate an account on SensusLibrary, the platform that makes texts available in accessible format to authorised users.
Subscribing to SensusLibrary entails signing a disclaimer stating that you undertake not to pass on the material received in digital format to third parties, not to make copies of it and to use it only for study and personal purposes.
Confirmation of subscription to the service will be sent to you by e-mail, subject to authorisation provided by the Office for Students with Special Needs.
When you will be enabled, you will be able to access the platform and request the materials you need by entering the following mandatory data: Title, Author, ISBN, Publisher, format, academic year of reference and teaching (exam).
The requested texts will be made available in an accessible format on the platform, approximately within 3 weeks. Should a longer period of time be necessary, you will be contacted by the service's e-mail address testi.accessibili@unito.it
From the platform, you will be able to download the available file, re-edit the format as needed, or send it to your e-mail address.
If you have any difficulties using the SensusLibrary platform, please write to testi.accessibili@unito.it

 

Terms of use

  • the service is intended only for print-disabled users under the law
  • the service is provided for study and personal use only. Any other use of the bibliographic material made available through the service is prohibited
  • the end-user is solely responsible for any copyright infringement
  • neither the University of Turin nor the developers of the service are responsible for improper and/or illegal use of the SensusLibrary application

Go to SensusLibrary

Authorized entity
Copyright Law No. 633/1941, updated by Law No. 37/2019, provides that authorised entities make a copy in accessible format of a work or other material to which they have lawful access (Art. 71-bis, para. 2-quinquies), on a non-profit basis.
The University of Turin was recognised as an authorised entity on 07/05/2021.
In order to distribute, communicate and make available the copies in accessible format only to the beneficiaries or other authorised entities (Art. 71-bis, par. 2-undecies, lett. a), the University of Turin, through the University Library System, delivers the works made in accessible format as follows:
  1. to institutional users via the SensusLibrary application, subject to objective proof of entitlement;
  2. to other authorised entities directly by e-mail, subject to objective proof of possession of the title of authorised entity.
In order to take appropriate measures to prevent the unauthorised reproduction, distribution, communication to the public or making available to the public of copies in accessible format (art. 71-bis, para. 2-undecies, lett. b), the University Library System requires that each beneficiary sign a declaration of knowledge of and respect for copyright law and a commitment to the exclusive personal use of what they receive. In the case of copies that have not been directly granted for use by the rights holder, they shall be made available in accessible format with the .pdf extension and bear the following wording: "Copy in accessible version made by the authorised entity University of Turin - Use only by entitled beneficiaries".
In order to provide due diligence in dealing with works or other material and their copies in accessible format and in recording all the operations carried out (art. 71-bis, par. 2-undecies, lett. c), the University Library System carries out the following operations:
  • acquisition of the text from a scanner or file provided by the Publisher;
  • archiving of text with a .pdf extension in a dedicated repository for internal use;
  • adaptation of the text to the accessibility specifications required by the user;
  • testing and quality control;
  • delivery of the text to the user via the SensusLibrary platform.
SensusAccess
The SensusAccess tool allows you to convert your own material (e.g. Word files, PDF documents, including those containing images of scanned text, PowerPoint presentations, html pages, etc.) into formats more suited to your needs:
  • Braille digital books;
  • ebooks (.epub, .epub3 format);
  • .mp3 file format;
  • structured audio-books in DAISY format.

You can upload the file into the application and retrieve the converted file or the download link in your mailbox in case of large files.
Warning: the quality of the final file depends on quality of the original file.
The conversion request is stored on the service's servers for 7 days. After this time it will be deleted.

Terms of use

  • the service is provided for study and personal purposes only. Any other use is prohibited;
  • the end user is solely responsible for any copyright infringement;
  • neither the University of Turin nor the developers of the service are responsible for improper and/or illegal use of the SensusAccess service;
  • you may not use the service for the conversion of material containing personal or sensitive information. Please remember to tick the box "I confirm that the document I have uploaded for conversion does not contain personal and/or sensitive information".

In case of difficulties in using the application, please write to testi.accessibili@unito.it

 

Useful links:

 

Go to SensusAccess (for english language you need to click on the british or american flags)