The following Free or Low-Cost Assistive Technology programs, software, website, and apps focus on different forms of Reading and Literacy Support.
Reading & Literacy
ABBYY TextGrabber
Features:
- Using the camera of your device, capture text and translate it using OCR
- Easily extract text from books, magazines, newspapers, ads, etc.
- Use VoiceOver (iPad only) to listen to your document in a text-to-speech format
- Captured text can be edited and/or copied to another source
- More Information: ABBYY TextGrabber Website
Cost: Free with in-app purchases
Compatibility: iOS; Android
Beeline Reader
Features:
- Monochrome color text reader with Open Dyslexie Font
- Read PDF files, webpages and convert ebooks to PDF files to be read with this program
- Monochrome color text helps eyes to track lines of text for easier, faster reading by eliminating “line transition errors.”
- Various monochrome color schemes for personalized use
- More Information: Beeline Reader Website
Cost: $4.99 – iOS app; browser extensions free
Compatibility: Browser Extension: Chrome & Firefox; iOS
Bookshare
Features:
- Largest online library of accessible reading materials for people with print disabilities
- Accessible books, textbooks, newspapers and magazine are available
- Individuals with Print Disabilities can sign up for a membership
- Books available for download can be read on DAISY players, with Screen Readers, Refreshable Braille Displays, and other Assistive Technology Programs
- More Information: Bookshare Website
Cost: Free FREE for qualified U.S. students and schools, and less than $1 per week for other members
Compatibility: Online Resource
Capti Voice
Features:
- Convert documents and webpages into text-to-speech
- Upload documents from Dropbox, Google Drive, Clipboard, or Web Browser
- Listen to document immediately or save it to your playlist for future listening
- Adjust speech rate along with the choice of built-in voices; additional voices for purchase
- More Information: Capti Voice
Cost: Free with in-app purchases
Compatibility: iOS; Chrome Browser Extension
Cometdocs PDF Converter
Features:
- Create and convert PDF documents to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Images, and other formats
- Use within Google Drive with the converted documents waiting for you there
- Use the web application, desktop app or app on your iOS device to convert documents too
- More Information: Cometdocs Website
Cost: Free
Compatibility: Online Resource; iOS; Android
Claro PDF Pro
Features:
- Listen to your PDFs read aloud using the built in voices on iOS as well as 4 high quality voices
- Convert images to fully accessible PDF files that can be spoken, searched, copied, or highlighted
- Change the background color of document and invert the text colors
- Annotate and mark up your document using highlights, underlines, strike outs, notes, drawing, insert images, audio, video and more
- More Information: Claro PDF Website
Cost: $9.99
Compatibility: iOS; Android
Claro ScanPen
Features:
- Listen to printed material on the spot
- Take a photo of your printed document, select text with your finger, and have it read back to you
- Compatible with Voiceover
- Multiple languages
- More Information: Claro ScanPen Website
Cost: $9.99
Compatibility: iOS; Android
CamScanner
Features:
- Use your camera phone to scan documents, notes, whiteboards, business cards or any other document
- Use the Optical Character Recognition (OCR) feature to convert images to readable text
- Add annotations to your scanned documents
- Sync documents across devices
- More Information: CamScanner Website
Cost: Free
Compatibility: iOS; Android
Dolphin EasyReader
Features:
- Reading app with customizable settings for the reader’s preferences
- The app offers magnification, bookmarks, change in font size and color, and text audio
- Works with a variety of file formats: HTML, Text files, DAISY files, Word documents, PDFs, and copied text
- Syncs with Bookshare
- More information: Dolphin EasyReader
Cost: Free
Compatibility: iOS; Android
Fokus
Features:
- Highlight only the text you want to read while Fokus dims and darkens the rest of your Chrome or Firefox window with an overlay
- Highlights the paragraph you’re reading with the ability to change the opacity of the background overlay
- Easy to install extension with the ability to turn the feature on or off
- More Information: Fokus Chrome Extension
Cost: Free
Compatibility: Chrome Extension and Firefox Add-On
GhostReader
Features:
- Text-to-Speech app for Mac computers
- Reads your text aloud with the ability to customize voices and modify the pronunciation of words so it sounds correct when reading
- Ability to zoom and highlight words
- Covert text to audio files for on-the-go listening
- Import text from a variety of formats including Text, Word, HTML, PDF & RTF
- More Information: GhostReader Website
Cost: $14.99-$19.99
Compatibility: Mac
Go Read
Features:
- Download and listen to your Bookshare books on your Android device
- Read DAISY and EPUB books with voice navigated and text-to-speech
- Connects directly to online libraries, and Bookshare for quick download
- Optimized for visually-impaired readers but usable for anyone
- More Information: Go Read
Cost: Free.
Compatibility: Android
HelperBird
Features:
- Text-to-speech and speech-to-text options
- Customizable styles & colors, including high contrast
- Includes features for assistance with color blindness and zoom features
- Overlay to reduce bright white light
- Other features: dictionary, Google translate, underlining, ad removal, dyslexia font, notes and more
- More information: HelperBird Chrome Extension
Cost: Free version and $6.99/month for Pro Plan
Compatibility: Chrome Browser Extension
Immersive Reader
Features:
- Built-in text decoding solutions for students to assist with reading
- Enhanced dictation, focus mode, immersive reading, font spacing, short lines, parts of speech supports, syllabification, and comprehension mode
- More Information: Immersive Reader
Cost: Free add-in through Office Suite
Compatibility: Edge Browser, iOS, Windows
Mercury Reader
Features:
- Remove clutter from webpages for easier reading
- Customize the size of the test, the font, and if it’s a light or dark themed background
- Send the reading to Kindle for reading on that device
- More Information: Mercury Reader Website
Cost: Free
Compatibility: Chrome Extension
NaturalReader
Features:
- Text-to-Speech software which converts Microsoft Word, Webpages, PDFs, and Email into spoken text
- Customize reading voice and speed for your readings
- Floating toolbar to read text in other applications
- Online Text-to-Speech program with options to input text from various sources on your computer
- More Information: NaturalReader Website
Cost: Free
Compatibility: Windows; Mac OS; Online Resource; Chrome Extension
NaviDys
Features:
- Adapt and adjust webpages to your own reading preference settings
- Adjust the font to one of 10 available fonts including Dyslexie font
- Adjust font size, letter spacing and line spacing of the webpage you’re reading
- More Information: NaviDys Website
Cost: $5.99
Compatibility: iOS and Mac
Open Library
Features:
- A collection of ebooks
- Browse by subject, book title, or author
- Ability to create an account
- More Information: Open Library Website
Cost: Free
Compatibility: Online Resource
Pro Scanner > Prizmo 5
Features:
- Take a picture and have immediate conversion into text with this OCR program for text-to-speech
- Ability to change the voice and interactive reading display with words highlighted as they are read
- 10 different languages built in with over 30 addition for download
- Ability to edit the OCR results to correct spelling errors or reorder text
- More Information: Prizmo Website
Cost: Free and in-app purchases
Compatibility: iOS
Read Mode
Features:
- Remove distractions from reading on the internet with this app
- Click the Chrome Extension for clean reading with black text on white background
- Ads and flash animations removed by the click of a button
- More Information: Read Mode Chrome Extension
Cost: Free
Compatibility: Chrome Extension
ReadMe!
Features:
- Read PDF and ePUB files on your tablet when you upload them to your bookshelf
- Spritz Reader is integrated into it – a tool for speed reading showing one word at a time to the reader
- Beeline Reader – polychromatic text color reader integrated into pay option of app
- More Information: ReadMe! Website
Cost: Free and in-app purchases
Compatibility: iOS; Android
Rewordify
Features:
- Rewordify replaces higher-level vocabulary with words that are
- easier to understand
- Help build understanding within readings and builds vocabulary
- Difficult words are replaced and highlighted
- Click on the words that were replaced to see the original word in
- the text
- More Information: Rewordify Website
Cost: Free
Compatibility: Online Resource
Select and Speak- Text to Speech
Features:
- Text to speech Chrome extension
- Can speak in 27 different languages
- Offers adjustable speech settings
- More information: Select and Speak Chrome Extension
Cost: Free
Compatibility: Chrome Extension
Speechify
Features:
- Have text read out to you in natural-sounding human voices using AI technologies.
- Upload documents into the application
- Have your text read in a variety of languages
- More Information: Speechify Website
Cost: Free and in-app purchases
Compatibility: iOS; Android; Online Resource
Spreeder App
Features:
- Free online web application to help you read faster
- Copy and paste text from any source into the online application and spreed!
- Words will flash at a words per minute rate as you read along and increase your reading speed
- Ability to adjust words per minute speed, chunk size/number of words flashed, background color and more
- More Information: Spreeder Website
Cost: Free
Compatibility: Online resource
Spritz
Features:
- Test your reading speed using Spritz to find your optimum reading speed to use in partnership with Readsy
- Increase or decrease the test reading speed to find your balance of speed and comprehension
- Spritz custom interface called the Spritzlet, adjusts word position and red letter placement for increased focus, attention and comprehension
- Various website and apps have the Spritz Spritzlet embedded in it
- More Information: Spritz Website
Cost: Free
Compatibility: iOS; Android
SwiftRead
Features:
- Train yourself to increase your reading speed with SwiftRead
- Assists with focus, visual tracking, and reading at a faster pace
- Speed read online text
- More Information: SwiftRead Website
Cost: Free
Compatibility: Chrome Extension
Text2Speech
Features:
- Enter text from any source and have it read out loud by this online resource
- Ability to download file to an mp3 file
- Customize voice and speed
- 4000 character limit to text read
- More Information: Text2Speech Website
Cost: Free
Compatibility: Online Resource
vBookz PDF Voice Reader
Features:
- Read PDF files with this app
- Interactive cursor allows readers to follow along with text
- Use annotation tools such as highlighting, text, notes, and bookmarks to help support your reading
- Read books in text mode with the option for Dyslexie Font
- Import PDFs using email, Dropbox, or through iTunes
- More Information: vBookz Website
Cost: Free and in-app purchases
Compatibility: iOS
Voice Dream Reader
Features:
- Text-to-speech app to read books with the ability to customize your screen for preferred reading options
- Read by listening to the text, visually or both at the same time
- Supports PDF, Word Docs, EPUB, DAISY, eBooks, Web pages and more with the ability to integrate your Bookshare books or books in Dropbox, Evernote, Pocket, Gutenberg and more
- Includes multiple language options along with various fonts, including Open Dyslexic font, and voices, including the option to purchase additional voices
- Highlight information in the reading and export it to other programs and apps
- More Information: Voice Dream Reader Website
Cost: $19.99 iOS; $9.99 Android
Compatibility: iOS; Android (Legere Reader)
Voice Dream Scanner
Features:
- Optical character recognition scanner app
- Once a document is scanned, in-app text-to-speech is available with adjustable settings
- Exports documents into a PDF or plain text format that works with other apps such as Voice Dream Reader
- More Information: Voice Dream Scanner Website
Cost: $9.99
Compatibility: iOS
Yuzu eReader
Features:
- Read your textbooks on the go – anywhere
- Annotate your readings with highlights, sticky notes, and flags in your textbooks
- Filter your notes and highlights onto one screen
- More Information: Yuzu Website
Cost: Free
Compatibility: iOS; Android
Download a printable copy with live links of the list of Free and Low-Cost Assistive Technology for Reading & Literacy Support, please click on the following link: Reading & Literacy Support AT