About Assistive Technology
Assistive technology (AT) is any item, piece of equipment, software program, or product that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of persons with disabilities. Information Technology Services (ITS) makes available several AT solutions for campus community members. Additionally, native assistive technology options are available within Windows and Apple operating systems.
The following is a list of assistive technologies available to the broader campus community. Please note that students and employees who wish to request individual accommodations should contact the Center for Disability Resources and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, respectively.
Screen Readers
Screen reader technology allows people who are blind or have low vision to use computers, smartphones, and tablets by converting visual information to audio format or electronic braille.
JAWS (Job Access With Speech) is screen reader software for Windows developed by Freedom Scientific. SU offers a dedicated number of concurrent-use Fusion (JAWS + ZoomText) licenses available for use on University-managed machines. Additionally, campus community members can download a free version on their personal Windows machine using their @syr.edu email address via the Freedom Scientific Sponsored Software webpage. Please reference the Fusion Answers page for more information.
NVDA (Non-Visual Desktop Access) is free screen reader software for use on Windows machines. Please visit the NVDA website for more information. Any individual can download NVDA software on their personal Windows machine. For installation on managed machines, please reach out to your respective IT admin.
VoiceOver (VO) is a built-in screen reader on macOS and iOS platforms. More information about VO is available on Apple’s Accessibility Support page.
Narrator is a native screen reader in Windows. To learn more about Narrator, visit the Complete Guide to Narrator in Microsoft support.
Screen Magnification
Screen magnification software allows people with low vision to magnify information on a computer screen or mobile device.
ZoomText is a fully integrated magnification and reading program tailored for low-vision users. SU has a dedicated number of concurrent-use Fusion (JAWS + ZoomText) licenses available for use on University-managed machines. Additionally, campus community members can download a free version on their personal Windows machine using their @syr.edu email address via the Freedom Scientific Sponsored Software webpage. Please reference the Fusion Answers page for more information.
Zoom is a native screen magnifier on MacOS and iOS platforms. You can enable the Zoom accessibility feature in Accessibility settings. Please visit Apple’s Zoom for macOS and Zoom for iOS pages for more information.
Magnifier is a native screen magnifier in Windows. To learn more about Magnifier, visit Use Magnifier to make things on the screen easier to see in Microsoft support.
Reading & Writing Support
Several reading and writing tools are available to support reading fluency, comprehension, and grammar, and may also help reduce reading fatigue.
ITS partners with the Center for Disability Resources to maintain a site license for Read&Write for PC, Mac, and iPad as well as a Chrome browser extension. Users of all abilities can benefit from use of this literacy support tool’s text-to-speech functionality. For more details, visit the TextHelp Read&Write Answers page.
BeeLine Reader makes on-screen reading easier and mitigates reading fatigue. It uses various color schemes to guide visual focus through blocks of text. BeeLine Reader is available through Blackboard Ally and SensusAccess.
Microsoft Immersive Reader is a tool used to assist with reading and comprehension. Users can adjust text size, font style, line spacing and background color. They can also search terms using the built-in dictionary. Immersive Reader can also read text aloud. It is available in desktop and online versions of Word, Outlook, Teams, OneNote, and the Edge web browser.
Alternative Formats
Converting electronic documents and other digital information into alternative formats can make content more readily accessible and usable to individuals with diverse learning styles.
Blackboard Ally evaluates content uploaded and hosted within the Blackboard LMS platform and provides alternative formats for students to engage with the content. These formats include:
- OCR’d version (for scanned documents)
- Tagged PDF (currently for Word, PowerPoint and OpenOffice/LibreOffice files)
- Immersive Reader (LMS only)
- Mobile-friendly HTML
- Audio
- ePub
- Electronic Braille
- BeeLine Reader
SensusAccess is a fully automated, 24/7, self-service document remediation and file conversion tool. Alternative formats vary depending on the source document. All students, faculty, and staff can access SensusAccess services using their @syr.edu email address. To learn more, visit our SensusAccess Document Remediation & Conversion Service page. For a full list of alternative format options, please visit the Sensus Access Target Formats page.
Visual Interpreting Service
Visual interpreting services make visual information accessible for people who are blind or have low vision, or for any person with a disability who may benefit from verbal descriptions of visual information.
Aira is a visual interpreting service that conveys vital information through verbal communication. Interpreters audibly describe a person’s visual surroundings via a live, professionally-trained agent and the Aira Explorer mobile app. More information is available on the Aira Visual Interpreting Service webpage.
Captions for Pre-recorded Video
Captions provide a text version of speech and non-speech audio information within synchronized media for people who are Deaf or hard-of-hearing.
Kaltura provides automated captioning for pre-recorded videos uploaded to the platform. Users can manually edit automated captions to ensure accuracy. The Kaltura MediaSpace is available to students, faculty, and staff at video.syr.edu.