SensusAccess

SensusAccess is a self-service solution intended for students, faculty, staff, and alumni needing to convert material into alternate formats. Users must have a UC Santa Barbara email account to use the service. 

Users can use SensusAccess to convert otherwise inaccessible or tricky formats into more accessible formats. These accessibility features include conversion of image files and image-only PDF documents into Word, RTF, and text files, conversion of image-only PDF documents into tagged (= accessible) PDF documents, and conversion of PowerPoint presentations into web projects, tagged PDF, or RTF outline files. 

Pleae note the converted document's quality depends on the original document's quality. For example, a clearly structured Microsoft Word document will yield a better result than a poorly scanned PDF.

Usage and Best Practice

This service is hosted by an external vendor, SensusAccess. Any information submitted will be processed by SensusAccess. This service is provided only for personal, non-commercial instructional and educational use and any other use is prohibited. Further distribution of the files received from SensusAccess is prohibited. Incoming documents submitted to the SensusAccess service are deleted from Sensus’ servers immediately after the documents have been processed. Information about the documents (types, sizes) is stored for internal statistical, administrative, debugging and support purposes only. Outgoing documents that are delivered to the end user through a web link are stored on Sensus’ web servers for a period of seven days using a secure, unique link, after which it is deleted. Other outgoing documents are not stored by Sensus. Information about the documents (types, sizes) is stored for internal statistical, administrative, debugging and support purposes only. Email addresses of users submitting information to the SensusAccess service are stored for internal statistical, administrative, debugging and support purposes only. All links between submitted documents and email address are deleted once the documents have been processed. Users can request to have their email addresses removed from Sensus’ systems by writing to contact@robobraille.org. All removals are subsequently confirmed by Sensus by email. No information collected by Sensus as part of the services is shared with third parties. Neither the university nor SensusAccess will be held responsible for any information submitted that is disclosed and/or subsequently misused. The end user will be solely responsible for, and will indemnify the university from and against, all claims and legal and financial consequences if sensitive or confidential information is sent either intentionally or unintentionally to SensusAccess for processing. SensusAccess endeavors to provide accurate conversion results but neither the university nor SensusAccess can guarantee such results.

Please be aware that use of SensusAccess for processing copyrighted materials other than for the purposes described above may constitute copyright infringement. The end user is solely responsible for, and will indemnify the university from and against, any claims in connection with end user's misuse of this service.