Assistive Technology
Software Available
Reading and Writing:
Read Write Gold – an easy-to-use flexible toolbar containing support features to make reading, writing, and research easier for you. The software has been designed to address some of the issues that people with dyslexia face daily, namely reading difficulties, writing difficulties, problems with spelling, and general literacy support.
Draft Builder – is software that helps students organize their ideas in an outline, take notes to complement the outline, and write a draft using the notes. This program steps the students through a logical progression using a visual presentation.
Dragon Naturally Speaking – Speech recognition software, that lets you dictate documents, search the web, email, and more on your computer — quickly and accurately — just by using your voice.
JAWS – a screen reader for persons with visual impairments or reading disabilities. Save time with Skim Reading. Text and links on the computer’s screen are read aloud.
NVDA – (Non-Visual Desktop Access) is a free “screen reader” which enables the text on the screen to be read aloud in a computerized voice. You can control what is read to you by moving the cursor to the relevant area of text with a mouse or arrows on your keyboard. NVDA can also convert the text into braille if the computer user owns a device called a “braille display”.
NitroReader – Great ‘text reader’ for PDF documents with highlighting. Offers navigation panes, including Pages, Bookmarks, Comments, and Output, which allows for easy navigation of larger documents.
Open Office (dyslexic font) – An add-in to WORD that allows students with dyslexia to change the font of documents for better readability.
Math
MathTalk w/ Scientific Notebook – allows the user to voice any math from pre-algebra, algebra, trig, calculus, and statistics using Dragon Naturally Speaking. This includes voicing graphs! Operates Scientific Notebook with over 600,000 combinations of voice commands and has GRAPHING capabilities. SN will also evaluate, evaluate numerically, factor, combine, expand, simplify, check equality, solve exact, and more.
MathPad – functions as an electronic numbers processor that allows students to solve basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems directly on the computer. Students do all their own calculations and is the perfect tool for students who have difficulty doing math with pencil and paper or who need help organizing or navigating through math problems.
Low Vision
JAWS – Job Access With Speech, is the world’s most popular screen reader, developed for computer users whose vision loss prevents them from seeing screen content or navigating with a mouse. JAWS provides speech and Braille output for the most popular computer applications on your PC.
Dragon Naturally Speaking – Speech recognition software, lets you dictate documents, search the web, email, and more on your computer — quickly and accurately — just by using your voice.
MathTalk w/ Scientific Notebook – allows the user to voice any math from pre-algebra, algebra, trig, calculus, and statistics using Dragon Naturally Speaking. This includes voicing graphs! Operates Scientific Notebook with over 600,000 combinations of voice commands and has GRAPHING capabilities. SN will also evaluate, evaluate numerically, factor, combine, expand, simplify, check equality, solve exact, and more.
Zoomtext Magnifier/Reader – ZoomText Magnifier/Reader is a fully integrated magnification and screen reading program that enlarges, enhances, and reads aloud everything on the computer screen.
NVDA – (NonVisual Desktop Access) is a free “screen reader” which enables blind and vision-impaired people to use computers. It reads the text on the screen in a computerized voice. You can control what is read to you by moving the cursor to the relevant area of text with a mouse or the arrows on your keyboard. NVDA can also convert the text into braille if the computer user owns a device called a “braille display”.
Mobility
Dragon Naturally Speaking – Speech recognition software, lets you dictate documents, search the web, email, and more on your computer — quickly and accurately — just by using your voice.
MathTalk w/ Scientific Notebook – allows the user to voice any math from pre-algebra, algebra, trig, calculus, and statistics using Dragon Naturally Speaking. This includes voicing graphs! Operates Scientific Notebook with over 600,000 combinations of voice commands and has GRAPHING capabilities. SN will also evaluate, evaluate numerically, factor, combine, expand, simplify, check equality, solve exact, and more.
MathPad – functions as an electronic numbers processor that allows students to solve basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division problems directly on the computer. Students do all their own calculations and is the perfect tool for students who have difficulty doing math with pencil and paper or who need help organizing or navigating through math problems.
Hardware Available
Reading
Reading Pen – Reads scanned text aloud, including its definitions and synonyms with Text-to-Speech (TTS) technology using the built-in speaker or earphones. Can spell out scanned words, highlighting individual letters.
(limited quantity available)
DaVinci Magnifier/Reader – a high performance desktop video magnifier (CCTV), featuring Full HD, selective text-to-speech (OCR) and a 3-in-1 camera. DaVinci will read any printed text (book, magazine, newspaper, etc.) aloud with the push of a button.
Magnibar tracker – Place it flat side down on any reading material and the highlighted line that runs through it, helping you focus and keep your place should you look away from your reading frequently. The highlighted line is tall enough to typically hold one line of standard text. Just slide the bar up, down, left, or right to continue reading.
Victor Reader DAISY Players -The simplest and friendliest audiobook player that plays DAISY format and MP3 books and music on CDs. Can easily bookmark a page, and change the rate of speech on this portable device.
Low Vision
DaVinci Magnifier/Reader – a high performance desktop video magnifier (CCTV), featuring Full HD, selective text-to-speech (OCR) and a 3-in-1 camera. DaVinci will read any printed text (book, magazine, newspaper, etc.) aloud with the push of a button.
Large-Print keyboards – each key and button label is easy to see, even in low light, due to its 36-point text and choice of high-contrast color schemes: “Black on Yellow” or “White on Black”.
Large Screen monitors – the larger display is easier on the eyes, so your eyes do not tire as fast.
Desktop Reading Magnifier – Magnifies approximately 2x-3x depending on viewing distance, which makes reading, drawing, writing, and viewing detail work easier for those with low vision.
Talking Basic Calculator – a large 8 digit LCD screen with large number pads, making it great for low vision users. A clear female voice, the talking calculator will speak single digits or units and whole integers.
TI-84 Plus Talking Graphing Calculator – The Orion TI-84 Plus Talking Graphing Calculator is a modified TI-84 Plus with an attachment that adds accessibility and additional controls. Explore graphs using either spoken announcements or audio and haptic (vibrating) feedback. Moving along the graph from left to right shifts the tone from the left to the right stereo channel.
Magnibar tracker – Place it flat side down on any reading material and the highlighted line that runs through it, helping you focus and keep your place should you look away from your reading frequently. The highlighted line is tall enough to typically hold one line of standard text. Just slide the bar up, down, left, or right to continue reading.
Digital Voice Recorders – Having low vision makes taking notes a challenge, but being able to record lectures and play them back can help with this challenge.
Hearing
Roger Pen by Phonak – Handy microphone for various listening situations. Roger Pen can be conveniently used where additional support is needed over distance and in noise and features Bluetooth connectivity.
Roger MyLink by Phonak – Roger MyLink is a universal receiver compatible with any hearing aid or cochlear implant with a T-coil.
Williams Personal FM System – This system broadcasts a speaker’s voice directly to the ears of an individual listener up to 150 feet away, making it an ideal amplification system for small groups and classrooms via a battery-operated transmitter with a small lapel microphone that sends their voice to the listener who uses a compact battery-operated receiver to hear the presentation loudly and clearly, even from the back of the room.
Neckloop Telecoil Coupler –is designed to magnetically couple the audio output from a Williams Sound unit into a hearing aid equipped with a telephone coil. It will also work with any audio device which has an 8-16 Ohm audio output through a 3.5mm jack. The neck loop works only with hearing aids equipped with a telephone coil (T-Switch)
Digital Voice Recorders – taking notes can be a challenge, but being able to record lectures and play them back with a hearing helper can help with this challenge.
Mobility
Trackball mouse – looks like an upside-down mouse with a movable ball on top of a stationary base. The ball can be rotated with a pointing device or a hand. People who have some fine motor skills but lack gross motor skills can use these devices more easily and comfortably than a traditional mouse.
Roller Mouse Red – centrally placed in front of your keyboard, eliminates the need to grip or reach for the mouse, which can stress the neck, shoulders, elbows, and wrists. This optimal work zone corrects posture and prevents injury.
Touch Screen monitor – people with motor control problems in their hands find it very difficult to hold the mouse still during clicking. Using a touch screen can eliminate the use of these fine motor skills.
Large-Print keyboards – each key and button label is easy to see, even in low light, due to its 36-point text and choice of high-contrast color schemes: “Black on Yellow” or “White on Black”.
Digital Voice Recorders – taking notes can be a challenge, but being able to record lectures and play them back later can help.
Useful Apps & Extensions
Brainstorming
IOS (Free Apps)
Android (Free Apps)
PC Download (Windows)
- FreeMind
- Bubbl.us (free & pay version)
- ThinkComposer
Text to Speech (E-Readers)
IOS (Free and some paid versions)
- Voice Dream (Paid-BEST***)
- Learning Ally (membership)
- TextGrabber 6
- ClaroSpeak
- iAnnotate 4 PDF (Paid)
- Aloud!
- Read&Write
- Natural Reader
- iBooks
- Kindle – Read Books, eBooks, Magazines, Newspapers & Textbooks
Android (free and paid versions)
Notetaking
IOS (free and Paid versions)
- Evernote
- Notepad+ Free – Take Notes and Memos in a Personal Handwriting Notebook
- Simplenote
- Notability (Paid)
- SoundNote (Paid)
- Audionote (Paid)
Android (free and paid versions)
Reading and Writing
IOS (Free and Paid versions)
- iWord Q CA (Paid)
- iA Writer (Paid)
- Co:Writer
- Evernote
- Grammarly keyboard
- Ulysses
Android (free and Paid versions)
Flash Cards
Stress and Anxiety
IOS (Free)
Android (Free)
Miscellaneous
IOS (Free)
Android (Free)