Assistive Technology
DRC staff will consult with you on assistive technology you may wish to explore as a University employee.
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
In the address bar, look for the "A" at the end of the address
- Select from many natural sounding voices.
- 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