What is SensusAccess?
SensusAccess is an automated, self-service document conversion facility providing students and staff with a quick, easy and free way to convert electronic documents into alternative accessible formats. Using SensusAccess you can:
- convert documents such as images, PDFs, JPEGs, and text files into alternative formats that work best for you—like eBooks, text files, audio (MP3, DAISY), and multiple braille languages.
- turn inaccessible files, such as image-based PDFs or JPGs, into accessible Word documents or other formats that are easier to work with.
- translate documents from one language into another.
- experiment with different formats that suit your learning style.
Once your document is ready you will receive an email with a link to the converted document. Documents you submit to the service are automatically deleted once they have been converted. SensusAccess does not store personal information.
- Convert a file using SensusAccess
- SensusAccess conversion services
- Conditions of use
- Help with using SensusAccess
Convert a file using SensusAccess
Use the button below to convert your document into an alternative accessible format:
- Alter the language settings of the web form by clicking on the flags at the top of the form
- Select the chosen source and follow the instructions provided on how you want it to be converted.
- Enter your University of Hertfordshire email address and submit. Important – you must have and use an email account linked to the University (eg @herts.ac.uk). You will not be able to use the service with any other email domain. Find out more about using your university email account.
- Once your document is ready, you will receive an email in your university email inbox with links to the refined resource.
SensusAccess conversion services
Braille services
Transcription of documents in contracted and uncontracted Braille in accordance with the Braille code for Unified English Braille (UEB) as well as the national systems for Bulgarian, Danish, British English, American English, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovenian and Spanish. The documents can furthermore be formatted and paginated, and delivered as ready-to-emboss files in a variety of digital Braille formats
Audio services
Conversion into plain MP3 files and well as DAISY Talking Books, including Daisy books with spoken math. The audio conversion features currently include high-quality voices for Arabic, Arabic/English bilingual, Bulgarian, British and American English, Danish, Dutch, German, Greenlandic, French, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovenian, and Castilian and Latin American Spanish.
E-book services
Documents can be converted into EPUB, EPUB3, EPUB3 with media overlays and Mobi Pocket (Amazon Kindle) e-book formats. Furthermore, EPUB may be converted into Mobi Pocket and vice versa. To accommodate users with low vision, the base line of the body text in an e-book may be raised to allow for more appropriate text scaling in mainstream e-book readers.
Accessibility services
Otherwise inaccessible documents such as image files in GIF, TIFF, JPG, BMP, PCX, DCX, J2K, JP2, JPX, DJV and image-only PDF, as well as all types of PDF files can be converted to more accessible formats including tagged PDF, DOC, DOCX, Word XML, XLS, XLSX, CVS, text, RTF and HTML. The service also supports conversion of Microsoft Office documents into tagged pdf files. Microsoft PowerPoint presentations can be converted into RTF files and web-projects.
Conditions of use
SensusAccess may be used to convert files to accessible formats where:
- you are a student or member of staff at the University and you either:
- own the copyright e.g. it is your own work
- you have permission from the copyright holder to convert it
- the copyright has expired
- it is for someone with a print disability.
- you are agreeing that:
- you have lawful access to the copyright work
- you are not converting the work for commercial purposes
- the accessible copy must not be shared with anyone else
For students and staff with a print disability, or for someone who is converting a file on their behalf:
There are no restrictions placed on the amount you can convert, provided that the copy is for the use of the print disabled individual only and they have lawful access to the copyright work. This may be because the disabled person owns a copy, has a licence to use the copy or has access through a university licence.
By making a copy you agree that:
- the accessible copy will not be shared with anyone else
- you abide by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1998, Section 31A (Disabled persons: copies of work for personal use).
- you abide by the Data Protection Act 1998 when storing or sharing converted files containing personal data.
For further advice or queries about copyright, please contact books@herts.ac.uk.
Help with using SensusAccess
- Frequently asked questions about SensusAccess
- SensusAccess guides and best practices
- SensusAccess e-learning course – use this free course to learn more about SensusAccess and how to get the most out of the service.
Please note that SensusAccess provides automated reformatting of documents and so the files it produces may contain errors. If the files produced do not meet your needs, please contact books@herts.ac.uk for further guidance.
You can find out more about other specialist support services available here at Herts on Ask Herts: https://ask.herts.ac.uk/specialist-disability-services-support or contact the University’s Student Wellbeing team at studentwellbeing@herts.ac.uk.