Students who get access to Kurzweil and/or Dragon assistive software through the Disability Services Office should receive some instruction in using this software from the counselor they are working with. Library staff can also answer basic questions about using these products. There are also basic online how-to guides for both products that may be helpful:
Kurzweil 3000 Quick Reference Guide [link opens in new window]
Kurzweil 3000-firefly Overview [link opens in new window]
Additional guides to Kurzweil products are available here: https://www.kurzweiledu.com/news-resources/product-guides.html
Guides to Dragon products, including NaturallySpeaking and Dragon Anywhere are available here: http://www.nuance.com/support.html
AccessApps is a software collection available from EduApps that includes 60 open source and freeware Windows applications which run from a USB stick.
For download instructions and more information: http://eduapps.org/?page_id=52
NVDA is a free screen reader that enables blind and vision-impaired people to use computers. The user can control what is read by moving the cursor to the relevant area of text with a mouse or the arrows on the keyboard. NVDA can also convert text into braille if the computer user owns a device called a “braille display”.
Download link: http://www.nvaccess.org/download/
SpeakIt is a free downloadable extension from the Chrome web browser that uses text-to-speech technology to read selected text in over 50 languages.
Available from the Chrome web store: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/search/speakit!?hl=en-US
Visolve is a software tool that transforms colors of the computer display into the discriminable colors for various people including people with color vision deficiency, commonly called color blindness. In addition to the color conversion, it also has color filtering and hatching capabilities.
Download link: http://www.ryobi-sol.co.jp/visolve/en/
Window-Eyes is a screen reader for PCs that is available free of cost to anyone who owns a licensed version of Office 2010 or newer.
For more information: http://www.aisquared.com/products/window-eyes/
Job Accommodation Network (JAN) of the U.S. Department of Labor: http://askjan.org/index.html
NC AHEAD (Association on Higher Education and Disability): http://www.ahead.org/affiliates/north-carolina
NC Division of Services for the Blind: http://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/dsb
NC Division of Services for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing: http://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/dsdhh
NC Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NC LBPH): http://statelibrary.ncdcr.gov/lbph/
North Carolina Assistive Technology Program: https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/vocational-rehabilitation-services/north-carolina-assistive-technology-program
Vocational Rehabilitation Services through the NC Department of Health and Human Services: http://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/dvrs