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Assistive technology tools: Reading

Learn about assistive technology tools that help with reading.

By Kristin Stanberry, Marshall Raskind, Ph.D.

There is a wide range of assistive technology (AT) tools available to help individuals who struggle with reading. While each type of tool works a little differently, all of these tools help by presenting text as speech. These tools help facilitate decoding, reading fluency, and comprehension.

AT tools that assist with reading fall into several categories:

We’re keeping an eye on…Kindle

When Amazon first released the Kindle e-Reader in 2007, it was hailed for having potential for people with vision impairment and reading disabilities, but the jury is still out on its success as an AT device.

The larger, recently released Kindle DX features a text-to-speech function that had the disability community hopeful that it would be accessible to people with LD. Along with text to speech the Kindle has a built-in dictionary and lets users add notes to the text.
But hopes were dashed when publishers balked, calling the read-aloud function a violation of copyright laws that would also compete with audio books. So currently only book titles that have given permission have text-to-speech; not an ideal solution. Another disappointment is that the menu functions of the Kindle are not supported by text-to-speech, making the device less useful for people with vision impairment.
The folks at Amazon are refining the Kindle so we’ll continue to watch how it evolves. They are currently working on an audible menu system and are adding a “super size font” that will be twice the size of the current largest font. The new features are scheduled for release in summer 2010.

Stay tuned.

Audio books and publications

Recorded books allow users to listen to text and are available in a variety of formats, such as audiocassettes, CDs, and MP3 downloads. Special playback units allow users to and search and bookmark pages and chapters. Subscription services offer extensive electronic library collections.

What type(s) of learning difficulty do these tools address?

This type of tool may help people who struggle with: reading.

Products and services to consider

Audible.com
Bookshare
Kurzweil 3000™ Literacy and Reading Programs
Recorded Books on PlayAway
Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D)
Every state library acts as a distribution point for the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, which has a large collection of books in audio format. Visit http://www.loc.gov/nls/to search the catalog. Certification of disability is required.
A growing number of local and university libraries are providing downloadable audio books through a service called NetLibrary. You have to have a compatible PC or MP3 player (Windows Media Player ready) in order to listen to them. Ask your library if they offer this service.
Unabridged is a source of digital audio books for people in CA, CO, DE, IL, MA, NH, OH, OR, or Texas who are blind or visually challenged. Certification of disability by your participating local library is required.

Optical character recognition

This technology allows a user to scan printed material into a computer or handheld unit. The scanned text is then read aloud via a speech synthesis/screen reading system. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is available as stand-alone units, computer software, and as portable, pocket-sized devices.

What type(s) of learning difficulty do these tools address?

OCR may benefit people who struggle with: reading.

Products to consider