Reading Printed and Electronic Materials Toolbox
Text-to-Speech (TTS)

Text-to-Speech (TTS) is software used to read aloud (speech synthesize) a computer document (e.g. word processor text, web page) providing auditory feedback. Words are sometimes highlighted as text is read. It may be helpful to people who need or want auditory verification of what they are seeing in print. Speech features such as speed and voice clarity, word highlighting and text sizing are considerations when choosing a specific text to speech program. Screen reading technology is an enhancement to text to speech because it also reads system information such as menus and dialog boxes. Text-to-speech technology can be integrated with Optical Character Recognition OCR systems.

See Talking Word Processors, Screen Readers, Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

Clipboards and Stand Alone Programs

Consider

See Talking Word Processor/Writing and Spelling

Operating Systems (OS)

Operating Systems (OS) will require system files and programs that allow for TTS especially with any freeware or shareware. Retail/Commercial software purchased will often install the required files and programs to support TTS.

Consider

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Reading Printed and Electronic Materials Toolbox
Screen Readers

Screen readers combine screen review software with speech synthesis - the computer's ability to change text into spoken words using a "synthetic" male or female voice. Words, usually highlighted, are spoken in a computerized voice through a device either inside or attached to the computer.

You can review what they've written by seeing it on the computer screen and hearing the words at the same time. The text may be words just written, a saved file, or from the Internet.

Hearing the text may help find errors in grammar or words left out - things that might not have caught by reading it. Listening to text may help decide if their writing makes sense and means what is really trying to be said.

Screen readers can help all who have reading and writing difficulties. Hearing text is especially helpful to those who are better listeners than readers.

Consider

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Reading Printed and Electronic Materials Toolbox
Optical Character Recognition

OCR systems can be particularly helpful to those who have difficulty reading printed words or understanding what they read.

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is software that converts a scanned document to a text file that can be changed - add or delete words and letters. It's often combined with speech synthesis so text can be read out loud. Many scanners come with OCR software which may or may not convert accurately.

OCR is the process of converting an image of text, such as a scanned paper document or electronic fax file, into electronic text. The text in an image is not editable: the letters are made of tiny dots (pixels) that together form a picture of text. OCR software analyzes an image and converts the pictures of the characters to editable text based on the patterns of the pixels in the image. "Lite" versions of OCR programs are often included when a new scanner is purchased.

Small, lightweight reading pens use an OCR system to translate words and phrases from one language into another, such as English to Spanish. They can be used in a single language to scan an unknown word or short phrase in English and show a translation. If speech synthesis is used, the translation is heard, as well. Reading Printed and Electronic Materials Toolbox

Larger OCR systems, when combined with speech synthesis, might be thought of as "reading machines." With the click of a button, a paper document - book page or printed copy - is scanned on a flatbed scanner and then read aloud while displayed on the computer screen. In this way, you can hear and see the text at the same time. Size, color, and speed at which text is read back can be adjusted to meet individual needs.

Some OCR programs have both scan and read features built in with text to speech software TTS so individuals can access to printed materials they cannot read independently. OCR produces the text document that was scanned and saved, and a talking word processor or talking clipboard can be used to read aloud the selected or highlighted text. Another option is to have the text document read and converted to MP3 format for later listening.

Consider

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Reading Printed and Electronic Materials Toolbox
Talking Web Browsers

Talking Web Browsers are web browsers (e.g. Netscape) that have built in text to speech (TTS) features. Speaking a whole page may not be desirable. User control by the selecting the desired text for auditory feedback is an important consideration; thus a simpler (TTS) clipboard tool may be more effective.

Consider

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Reading Printed and Electronic Materials Toolbox
Electronic Text (E-Text)

Electronic Text (E-Text) Many novels and other documents in the public domain have (or "E" text) been saved in a plain text format that can be opened on any computer: (no formatting, no html markup). E-text files can be downloaded and or purchased. They can be accessed or opened using any number of text-to-speech featured software programs.

A Microsoft Word document or an AppleWorks (Mac) document is not an e-text document unless it is saved as plain text. You may know the acronym ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) and any text file that is saved as plain text usually conform to this standard. Often rich text format RTF and basic text documents can be imported and used in either Mac or PC based programs. See Talking Word Processor/ Writing and Spelling

When information comes in the form of an Adobe .pdf file and using the Acrobat reader, you can select the text tool from the adobe menu bar and copy text. Text can be then be pasted into a text to speech featured program (e.g. talking clipboard and or talking word processor). Helping People with Disabilities Access information in Adobe®. http://access.adobe.com this online conversion tool can take a submitted URL of an adobe file and sent it back as a basic text web page that can be easily used for text to speech. You can also search for Adobe PDF files Online http://searchpdf.adobe.com/?searchsum

Consider

Also See MP3 Readers and Converters/Processing and Understanding Language

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Reading Printed and Electronic Materials Toolbox
VISUNET Canada

Nova Scotia Regional Public Libraries and VISUNET Canada
Working together for the benefit of print disabled Nova Scotians

What is VISUNET CANADA?
VISUNET is a partnership, which links the resources of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind Library with your Public Library.

Who can use VISUNET?
VISUNET CANADA serves anyone who is unable to use print because of a visual or physical handicap, or a learning disability as defined by the Canadian Copyright Act.

Your passport to VISUNET services is a card from your local library. Library cards are FREE!

What's available from VISUNET through your library?

Talking Books 16,000+ unabridged titles in English on 4-track audio cassette
Braille Books over 16,000 children's picture book titles with see through Braille overlay between each page
Electronic Text (E-Text) 1,300+ titles for reproduction in large print, audio, or Braille format
Magazines (50), Daily Newspapers (8)
Descriptive Videos 250+ films and PBS television programs with added narration describing setting and actions
Braille Music 18,000+ scores for all types of musical instruments
Audio Cinema over 50 films with narration describing setting and actions between dialogue sequences (2-track audio cassette)

What other services are available through VisuNET Canada? VisuCAT: The CNIB's online library catalogue
VisuTEXT: Books, encyclopedias, academic journals and other information resources on the Internet
VisuNEWS: Telephone and Internet access to a variety of daily newspapers

For more information about VisuNET Canada:
Call or visit the library and ask about VisuNET Canada services for anyone who is print disabled. You can also check out the web site at: www.cnib.ca/library/visunet/

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Reading Printed and Electronic Materials Toolbox
Audio Books and Playback

Audio Books

Persons with reading disabilities can listen to recorded text - textbooks, journals, newspapers - to gain information others get from reading. Audio books are available from many different sources. Local book, toy and record stores, and public libraries have popular titles available.

Organizations offering audio taped books generally require verification of a learning disability from a qualified professional. Some charge a fee for borrowing and require special tape recorders for playback.

Playback Units

Not all audiotapes work on every tape recorder. They may play at varying speeds and formats (two-track, four-track). Be sure the tapes you order work with your playback unit.

Variable speech control (VSC) tape recorders let your child play audio taped text faster or slower than originally recorded without losing the actual sounds of the words. This feature helps kids who need to hear spoken language at a slower pace. Other kids find they can review material faster by speeding up the tape.

Commercially produced audio books are easy to find and can be used in homes, cars, and public transportation since they work on standard cassette players.

Consider

Consider

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