Back to school means lots of reading, as all students know! The purpose of this blog post is to provide you with info on programs, app,s and resources that will enable you to do the reading you have to do for courses and assignments, or for life in general.
The list of resources, found below, is the result of the collective work of:
Kim Kilpatrick, GTT Coordinator
Rebecca Jackson, GTT, Summer Student Project
Albert Ruel, GTT Coordinator
Leo Bissonnette, AEBC National Board Member,
Our compiled list is not exhaustive. Indeed, it’s a start and we would welcome comments about our suggestions, along with other apps that you may have found helpful.
LIST OF RESOURCES
Apps Available in Both the iOS Apple App Store and the Google Playstore
Kindle
The amazon Kindle app allows you to read books that you have purchased from amazon. You can download the kindle app by searching for it in the iOS app store. It is also available on android by searching the play store for kindle.
Voice Dream Reader
This app allows you to read documents and play media from a wide range of formats. This app is available for both iOS and android. It should be noted that at this time more features are available in the iOS app than in the Android app. More info can be found at, VoiceDream.com
KNFB Reader
This app performs OCR, optical character recognition. This means that you can scan printed material such as a printed handout and the text will be spoken on your phone. This app is available on both iOS and android. Just search for knfb on the Apple Store or the play store. more info at, KNFBReader.com
You can purchase stands that make scanning with the KNFB Reader app easier.
Here are links to two of them.
Giraffe reader, a stand for KNFB Reader at, Giraffe Reader
Capti Narrator
This app allows you to listen to documents with a text to speech voice. It is available on iOS and windows via Firefox. You can also use it on a Chromebook. More info at, Capti Narrator
iBooks
This app comes by default on your iOS device and is an online store that allows you to purchase and
read books.
Windows PC
Adobe Acrobat Reader
This program allows you to read accessible PDFs. To find out more about the accessibility of it go to, Accessible Adobe Reader
spokenText.net
This is a website that converts written electronic documents to synthesized speech output.
The website is, SpokenText.net
Codex
This application allows you to convert eBooks to a format of your choice. More info can be found at, Codex on the Web
Libre Office
This is a free alternative to Microsoft office.
Macbook2speech
Another service that converts text to speech, also available on windows.
Read Hear Pro
This app is a talking book player on mac and windows.
Scanning Systems Software/Hardware Combinations:
The systems, described below, work with both software and flatbed scanners and cameras.
Two Solutions from Kurzweil Educational Systems
Kurzweil 1000 for blind users, and Kurzweil 3000 for LV and LD users:
The Kurzweil 3000 is available on both the Mac and Windows platforms
The Kurzweil 1000 program has a number of useful features, including the ability to use a wide range of dictionaries and perform OCR, more info at, Kurzweil Systems
DocuScan Plus:
A self-voicing online scan and read app that works in Windows and on the Mac from any online computer connected to a scanner. It will allow documents to be scanned to the user’s folders in the Cloud for retrieval and use at the time, or later. It also converts PDF to text based files.
OpenBook:
A resident self-voicing scan and read app for the Windows environment that also converts electronic PDF files to text for reading or editing.
Abbyy FineReader:
A resident scan and read app and PDF conversion tool for both the Mac and Windows environments.
CourseSmart:
A new player in the field of textbook sellers that offers all students with a new option to either buy or rent their course textbooks. Accessibility to materials is available on all platforms and technical support is available to help users of JAWS, Android and iOS devices as well as Mac users. In order to use the CourseSmart service, you must create an account.
CONCLUSION
As you can see, there is a multitude of tools you can use to access printed materials and assist you in your studies. However due to the very individual nature of your post-secondary institution, it is very important that you contact your center for students with disabilities. The people who work there know your school inside out and will be able to advise you on your specific technological needs.
The Albert A. Ruel Road to Blindness
A 21 year old man stood on the beach at the Sproat Lake Provincial Park with friends early in May of 1977, and upon gazing across the lake found the Gulf Oil sign missing from the dock-side filling station there. When this fact was shared with his companions they glanced at him with puzzled looks and said, “No Albert, the sign is still there”.
That was the beginning of a road through confusion, anger, isolation, loneliness and discovery for me. It all began with a visit to a local Optometrist who could see that my vision wasn’t right, but that corrective lenses wouldn’t help. He then referred me to a General Practitioner, where I received a clean bill of health and an additional referral. This time to an Ophthalmologist. Immediately upon peering through the dilated pupils, Dr. McKerricher was able to see the problem, Retinal Vasculitis.
Now, you would think that all would start to improve at this point, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. You see, CNIB, from 1918 until 1985 only served the needs of people who were “Legally Blind”, a level of vision loss I wouldn’t reach until November of 1979. The words of Dr. McKerricher still echo in my mind today, “Albert, I don’t know what has caused this and nothing we’ve tried is helping to stop it, and you’re not blind enough for me to refer you to CNIB”!
In the middle of this transition from 20/20 vision to “Legally Blind” came the Motor Vehicle Branch and it’s rules of the road. On August 3, 1978 I drove a car for the last time as my vision had reached the level at which operating a motor vehicle became too dangerous, further intensifying feelings of fear, isolation and anger. Sadly, through this period the only available guidance and support was through family and friends, but not the experienced professionals I needed at the time. Although these support systems are critically important they can often be smothering and facilitating, rather than encouraging and supportive.
With gratitude, and some trepidation I finally was able to access CNIB services in November of 1979, and the world opened up then. There I was able to meet other blind people and receive the daily living and mobility skills required to live independently in this sighted world. I learned elementary braille and began to discover technology as necessary tools of independence.
Thankfully, in 1985 CNIB’s National Board altered the course of service to visually impaired Canadians forever. They added a third prong to their Mission Statement, “To promote sight enhancement services”. This opened the door to all Canadians who were beginning to lose sight, as well as those who had a fear of vision loss to access the full range of CNIB Support and Rehabilitation Services. So now, whether it’s someone’s Mother who is experiencing Macular Degeneration, or an Uncle experiencing the affects of Glaucoma, all have the ability to seek information, guidance and support as all involved deal with the fear and anxiety that accompanies such life altering experiences.
With the help of professional Rehabilitation Workers and Employment Counselors I was able to continue traveling independently within my own community, and even more remarkably anywhere in the world I desired to go. I managed to attend College in Nanaimo and New Westminster, as well as traveling to the Mayo Clinic and to doctor’s appointments in Nanaimo and Vancouver without assistance. All of this while living with some usable vision, but not yet needing a white cane for travel.
During the mid 1980’s I was a stay-at-home Dad and did all that was required of that challenging work, from changing diapers to preparing meals, and from cutting the grass to maintaining our home. I even took a woodworking course through Alberni’s Adult Education program and built and restored several pieces of furniture. Of course the 1958 Chevy Impala in the garage was my pride and joy, and I devised ways to do much of the work it required.
I also joined and participated in many community activities, like the local Car Club, and a disability support group that catered to the needs of people with many different disabilities. Of course, continued participation in family life remained of critical importance through this period.
In 1989 a secondary condition began to extinguish the vision that remained, which set into motion a new stream of professional rehabilitation services and supports. By the spring of 1990 Glaucoma had turned out the lights completely, and the darkness I had feared so desperately was upon me. Strangely though, I found this to be a great relief rather than the tragedy I had imagined it would be.
Through several professional rehabilitation sessions, and by joining peer mentoring and advocacy groups I was able to come to terms with this strange feeling, and to learn additional skills and strategies for living with no visual cues of the world around me. This is also about the time that I decided to explore CNIB as an employer, and to see if I could provide the sort of guidance and support to others that had been my pleasure to receive. Those 14 years were a wonderful experience of ongoing discovery for me, as teaching may be the best way to solidify one’s own learning. In other words, those we assist through this transition in turn help us all as we develop best practices and improved service.
Following a 14 year career with CNIB I also served the blind community as the first National Equality Director employed by the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians (AEBC), and as a Basic Computer Literacy Trainer with the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB). Most recently I have enjoyed coordinating the CCB’s newly launched Get Together with Technology Program in Western Canada, which brings to the fore my passion for assistive technology and the power of peer mentoring.
Without sight I have continued to travel far and wide, with trips to Conventions of and for the Blind in Anaheim California and Melbourne Australia, as well as to many events and activities in Toronto and Vancouver. Of course my work has taken me to many communities throughout Western Canada, and most particularly nearly all regions of BC and on Vancouver Island. None of which would have been possible without the services and support of organizations like CCB, AEBC and CNIB.
For most people blindness generates a fear of extended movement, both within one’s home and community, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Independence comes from personal desire and increased skill. Many community organizations can assist with both through their mentoring and skill development programs. I remember always that life has little to do with what happens to me and 100% what I do about/with it. There is a quote I like to use from the National Federation of the Blind in the USA, “With adequate skill development and opportunity blindness can be reduced to the level of a nuisance”, and nothing could be closer to the truth.
Helen Keller said many years ago, “There is nothing more tragic than someone who has sight, but no vision”. She also challenged the Lions Clubs of the world to become the “Knights of the Blind, and to take up the crusade against darkness”. I too joined a Lions Club in 1992 and continue to work on the crusade that Helen Keller began in the 1920-s.
View all posts by Albert Ruel
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One thought on “Student Resource: Apps and Web Pages for Accessing Printed Material for Living and Learning”
Albert: In Toronto, there is a service called PAL Reading Services. Actually, I started it in 1974, and it is still going strong. Anyone can use this service as long as they have difficulty reading – cannot see to read, cannot hold the book, have learning disability, etc. The number to call is: , 416-340-7828. If they cannot find the book for someone, they will record it on the usual 4-track format. Jim E-mail: jim.hamilton@rogers.com
Albert: In Toronto, there is a service called PAL Reading Services. Actually, I started it in 1974, and it is still going strong. Anyone can use this service as long as they have difficulty reading – cannot see to read, cannot hold the book, have learning disability, etc. The number to call is: , 416-340-7828. If they cannot find the book for someone, they will record it on the usual 4-track format. Jim E-mail: jim.hamilton@rogers.com
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