We focus on materials that can be fruitfully used by ministry
personnel - commentaries, tools for language study, theology and liturgical
resources, etc. We also have Bibles and devotional resources that will be
helpful to anyone wishing to enhance their study of the Bible.
We do not charge a fee for our services. However, because there is
always some cost in producing and sending materials out, we would be thankful
for a donation of $10
to help defray expenses.
We are always looking for donations of books that can be added to
our library - the kind of books that will benefit those who wish to study the
Bible and serve as leaders in Christ's church, such as commentaries and other
Bible study resources. (We reserve the right to decide which resources we will
include in our library.)
As an IRS approved nonprofit corporation we also welcome financial
contributions and will provide a receipt to the giver.
The Chafee
Amendment to the U.S. Copyright code allows a nonprofit organization, whose
primary purpose is to serve the needs of those with visual disabilities, to
produce this material in an alternative format (but not large print). We have
chosen to limit ourselves to materials in digital format that can be
effectively used by computer users who have screen reading software.
Because we are operating under the Chafee Amendment of the U.S.
Copyright code only those who have a visual disability or some other disability
that necessitates use of materials in alternative format may receive our
resources. We require that our users affirm their disability and thus their eligibility
to receive materials from us by sending us a statement of disability.
No. According to the law, users may not even share with other
persons with visual disabilities. We have taken the necessary steps to ensure
that we can legally distribute this material to users who qualify for our
services. According to the law, this can be done only by a non-profit
organization whose primary purpose is to serve the needs of the blind and those
with other disabilities.
However, please direct qualifying persons to us and we will be
glad to serve them.
We provide most of our
documents in RTF format to make them available to as wide a variety of computer
users as possible. Bible versions are available in HTML or rtf format.
You can receive the Optasia Library on a single DVD or a set of CD
ROM discs.
For those who wish to receive the Optasia Library, we will send
out a DVD or a set of CD ROM disks with our entire library on it. Please send us your mailing address.
For those who wish to have only a Bible version, for example, we
will meet specific requests. Some Bibles
can be emailed. For larger files we use
one of the online services for sending large files.
The library is too large to be downloaded in its entirety, and
because, by law, we must restrict who receives this material, downloads from
our website are not available.
We provide fourteen Bible versions in a form that works well on a
desktop computer or a Braille notetaker. We have
tested it extensively on a PC, a Mac and a PAC Mate (Freedom Scientific).
We offer all the same versions in html format, a form which works
well with the Victor Stream Reader.
The same versions are available in RTF format.
We offer a couple study Bibles, Catholic Bibles and a Spanish
Bible.
A few other Bibles are available upon request. See the Optasia Library for a
complete list.
Anyone who works with scanners knows that errors and extra
characters creep in during the scanning process. However, we have found that
what we offer is very readable, and allows users to access the available
material in a very helpful way. If our
users find crucial portions of the text that are not readable, we will make
every effort to correct the errors.
We are thankful to several publishers for providing us with a
number of books. These will be fre of the errors due to scanning.
Since the Bible versions are received from downloaded text, these
are as accurate as the original source.
Greek and Hebrew text cannot be recognized by the scanning process
available to us. Such text will turn into gibberish. We have, however,
concentrated on materials that will allow serious students of Scripture to
access some material that is rarely available to those with visual
disabilities. Note in the library listing we offer the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, as well as the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament.
Because these books use transliterated text, and because of the form in which
we offer it, we believe our users can gain great benefit from these resources
as they do biblical studies.
Please contact us if you are
unable to understand or read portions of the material. We will make every
effort to correct significant problems in our offered materials.
We will continue to add resources to our library and invite our
users to send us commentaries and other ministry resources that we can add, and
share with others. Some materials already in our library will continue to be
edited.
We reserve the right to decide what will be added to our list of
resources.
When significant updates are made to our library we are willing to
send a new version of the library to those who have already received it.
Check out our What's
New Page to see some of the major changes to the library.
What do I need to do to receive resources from Optasia Ministry?
Send
us your name and contact information along with a statement affirming that you
have a visual disability that necessitates the use of the alternative format
resources that Optasia Ministry offers.
Use this Contact us link.
We will need your name and mailing address, and your preference
for receiving the library on a single DVD disc, or a set of CD ROM discs.
Copyright 2010 Optasia
Ministry. All rights reserved.