Assistive Technology
DRC staff will consult with you on assistive technology you may wish to explore as you pursue your academic program.
Campus Resources
Speechify Licenses are available, free, for anyone with an @arizona.edu email address.
** NOTE: Activation is most successful when you activate your account in a private/incognito browser window.
Activate speechify premium with your @arizona.edu emaIl
Install Speechify
Questions?
Contact accessibility@arizona.edu
Ally easily transforms your course content into a format that works for you. Options to access your course readings include:
- MP3 Audio – Learn by listening.
- HTML – Create a web version for your mobile devices.
- Selectable Text PDF – Turn that scanned PDF into one you can highlight and interact with.
- EPub – Read using your eReader or tablet.
- BeeLine Reader – Read faster by using color gradients.
If you are having trouble using text-to-speech technologies with your digital textbooks, try this!
- Install or open Microsoft Edge browser
- Open your textbook in MS Edge
- Use the Read Aloud feature in MS Edge
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In the address bar, look for the "A" at the end of the address
- Select from many natural sounding voices.
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- Microsoft Accessibility Features
- How to make your device more accessible with Ease of Access in Windows 10 (Video)
- How to use OneNote accessibility features - Dictation, Immersive Reader, Translate & More (Video)
- Microsoft Learning Tools
- Using Read Aloud in MS Edge browser
- How to make reading more accessible with Microsoft Immersive Reader (Video)
- How to use Immersive Reader in Microsoft Teams (Video)
- How to use the Immersive Reader in the Microsoft Edge Browser (Video)
- Office 365 Dictate (requires Internet connection)
- How to Dictate using speech recognition (Video)
- Color filters on Windows 10
Additional Access Tools
- Apple Accessibility Features
- Get started with accessibility features on Mac
- Apple Learning and Literacy tools
- Apple/Mac Voice Recognition (if you select "Enhanced Dictation," dictation can be used without internet connection)
- Apps and Plug-ins
- JamWorks (free and paid versions)
- Just Press Record (paid version)
- Live Caption App (subscription fee)
- Maestra (alternate languages, free)
- Chrome Live Caption
- Apple live captions
- Microsoft
Examples for note-taking apps, note that some apps are free while others are fee-based.
Listen to digital content including text you have written:
- Speechify (free Premium license with your netid@arizona.edu email address)
- Balabolka
- Central Access Reader (CAR)
- NaturalReader
- Capti Voice
- Adobe Read Out Loud
- VoiceDream App
Read faster by using color gradients.
Convert text into a Braille format to be embossed
Software for visual outlining/concept mapping to assist with the writing process
Read content using an eReader or tablet.
Enlarge the screen for visually impaired individuals with limited speech reading capabilities
- ZoomText
- Sign up for a free ZoomText home license with your University email address.
- Microsoft Magnifer (Ease of Access)
- Mac Vision Tools
- Fusion - JAWS screen reader and ZoomText screen magnification
- Sign up for a free Fusion home license with your University email address.
Color Masking Tools which may make reading on a computer screen a bit easier
Reads all information on the computer screen allowing access for visually impaired individuals
- JAWS
- Sign up for a free JAWS home license with your University email address.
- NVDA (Free)
- Fusion - JAWS screen reader and ZoomText screen magnification
- Sign up for a free Fusion home license with your University email address.
- Microsoft Narrator
- Mac VoiceOver
Speak to the computer to write papers, emails, or control the computer.
- Dragon NaturallySpeaking
- Office 365 Dictate (requires Internet connection)
- Quillsoft - WordQ