Assistive Technology

There are many ways that individuals with disabilities use technology to mitigate the impact of their diagnoses.  Some use specialized hardware, like a one-handed keyboard or head or mouth sticks, and others used specialized software to interact with the computer and its operating system.  Both PCs and Macs have built in accessibility features that can be helpful for you to try, to get a small glimpse into what your students may be using and how it works.

Here are a list of common tools and their definitions.  This is by no means an exhaustive list - there are many tools and devices that individuals with disabilities use to interact with the computer and other technologies.  The tools listed below are the ones course designers, developers and instructors are most likely to encounter when working with students with disabilities in their courses.  If this is an area that interests you and you would like to learn more, Martha Scherer’s book, Living in the State of Stuck (2005) Links to an external site. is a good resource to start with.  Yes, it is 10 years old but Scherer chronicles the experiences of several people with disabilities and how they use assistive technology in their everyday lives.  The technology discussed may not be up to date but the discussion of the need for assistive technology and the impact it has on those who need it is still valuable and relevant today.

Screen Reader

A screen reader is software that individuals who cannot see use to interact with the computer, especially the operating system.  A screen reader narrates the text of all menu options and programs out loud to the user.  Some screen readers can even be set up to allow for Braille output on an attached device.  The goal of the program is to allow the user to navigate the computer and its options the way that individuals who can see scan the desktop and follow the menu commands of program with their eyes.  It is important to note that screen reader users tell the computer what to do by using keyboard commands and do not activate their choices by pointing and clicking with a mouse, as they cannot see what they are pointing to and clicking on.

There are many screen readers available on the market today, including the most popular JAWS Links to an external site.and Window-Eyes Links to an external site..  NVDA Links to an external site. is a free screen reader that can be downloaded by anyone who needs it.  It is a great tool for individuals who are blind and cannot afford to update their screen reader software to the most current versions.  It is also helpful for those who regularly design online content and want to check to see how a screen reader will react to that content.

Magnification Software and Equipment 

Just as you are thinking, magnification software and equipment allow the user to enlarge whatever they are looking at so they can comfortably use their residual sight to see it.  There are two common ways that individuals who cannot see use magnification: 1. by installing software on their computers to magnify the desktop or 2. by installing an external device, a CCTV, to magnify papers and books by projecting an enlarged image on the computer monitor.  

To get a sense of how this may work, you can access the built-in magnifier on your computer.  It is interesting to experience working with magnification yourself - what can you see?  What don’t you see when you magnify your desktop?  How did you find what you were looking for when you couldn’t see the entire screen without scrolling back and forth or up and down?  Think about how this might impact your design choices.  While we cannot replicate what it is like to use an external magnification device, the American Federation of the Blind Links to an external site. has a great information page about CCTVs and video magnifiers, including some videos, if you’re interested in learning more.

Dictation Software

Many people are familiar with dictation software, especially if they have a smartphone and use dictation to speak their text messages or to activate the built-in assistant (e.g., Siri on the Apple smart phones).  The basic premise is that you speak into the device and it translates your speech to text.  There are so many applications of this technology that are beneficial to both those with and without disabilities.  However, dictation software is often tricky to use because of the individual variation in people’s speech patterns and pronunciation of words.

Dictation software has improved considerably in recent years and most applications are almost to the point of being ready out-of-the-box to handle the dictation needs of the user.  They do require some training so it can build the user’s voice profile and improve accuracy.  Typically this includes uploading written documents produced by the user so the software can learn his/her common vocabulary and writing style.  The software will also lead the user through a series of test dictations so it can learn the user’s pronunciation of known words and phrases.  One popular tool is Dragon Naturally Speaking Links to an external site..  Dragon is available as a software program for the computer as well as a mobile application for most smartphones and tablets.

Reading Programs

If a student has a visual or learning impairment, he or she may need to use specialized software to read the text of documents out loud.  These programs can be very basic and just read the text out loud to the student or they can include additional features, such as links to definitions, highlighting progress on the page, or allowing for commenting and notes to be left on the document to be read aloud later.  These programs are particularly useful for students with learning disabilities or dyslexia or even students with attention deficit disorders as they can both listen and read the text at the same time, which often helps to improve retention and comprehension of the content.  Natural Reader Links to an external site. is a free download that allows users to change voices as well as keep track of where the reader is in the text. Other  TTS (Text-to-speech) software resources include Read&Write Gold Links to an external site., Kurzweil 3000 Links to an external site. and Premier Literacy Links to an external site.. These are the most commonly used TTS in higher education.

Estimated time: 10 minutes