Assistive Technologies

The library houses an assistive technology room on the south end of the 2nd floor. Please read the library's Assistive Technology Policy (PDF) and see a librarian the 2nd floor Research Desk for assistance with accessing the equipment.

 

 

The technology includes:

• CCTV: a device provides magnification of materials, reverse imaging, changeable combinations of text and background, and margin adjustments.
• Two Windows-based computers with the following specialized software installed:
  • Kurzweil 3000: Kurzweil is a comprehensive software package including synthesized reading, OCR, digital annotation, test-taking, and word-processing capabilities. Kurzweil 3000 presents material in either visual or auditory formats. It may be able to help students with visual impairments, learning differences or disabilities, ESL concerns, difficulty reading, or test anxiety.
    Kurzweil 3000 user guide (PDF)
  • OpenBook: OPENBook is an optical character recognition (OCR) scanning software used for scanning and reading printed text. Books or papers are placed on the scanner, scanned, and translated into speech. Users "listen" to the scanned text with headphones. The text is also displayed on the monitor and can be considerably enlarged. A yellow cursor movers over each word as the text is "read" into the headset. Because the text is displayed on the screen, it may also improve reading skills. 
    OpenBook user guide (PDF)
  • Zoom Text screen magnification software: Zoom Text is a computer program that magnifies the computer screen and is designed to assist the visually impaired. The software can increase the size of the screen from two to 16 times it's normal size and includes the ability to modify display colors to increase contrast, invert colors (i.e. white letters on a black background), or switch to a grayscale display.
    Zoom Text user guide (PDF)
  • Dragon Naturally Speaking/Dictate: This software allows a patron to create documents by dictation and to operate Windows with a set of vocal commands. The advantage of this software is that it "learns" to understand an individual's voice as he/she speaks naturally. With Dragon Naturally Speaking/Dictate a user can compose documents in Word by vocal commands. 
    Dragon Naturally Speaking user guide (PDF) 
    Dragon Naturally Speaking quick reference (PDF)
  • JAWS (Job Access With Success): This software reads the computer screen to users. It is particularly useful for reading web pages as well as windows and menus that appear on-screen. Headphones are provided so that other library users are not disturbed. 
    JAWS user guide (PDF)
    JAWS user guide (DOC)

Equipment available for check out for use throughout the library

Ask at the 1st floor Service Desk.

 

• Pebble handheld electronic video magnifier