Assistive Technology by Sarah Milne

Desktop: read aloud

smilne21 — 2026-02-22 22:59:35 UTC

Access via the 'Review' toolbar and selecting "read aloud". This feature allows you to play aloud, to pause, to fast forward and to change the voice from male to female.

Desktop: immersive reader

smilne21 — 2026-02-22 23:11:19 UTC

Access via the 'view' toolbar and selecting "immersive reader". This feature allows you to change the screen colour and to limit the amount of text visible to just one line, or a few lines. The text can be broken into syllables to support with fluency.

Word online: immersive reader - reading aloud fetures

smilne21 — 2026-03-08 13:05:25 UTC

Access via the 'view' toolbar and selecting "immersive reader". As with the desktop, you can change the text that is visible and it can be broken into syllables

Word online: immersive reader - parts of speech identifier

smilne21 — 2026-03-08 13:07:29 UTC

Select to show any of the parts of speech (with or without labels). Not quite colourful semantics, but certainly really helpful. Can be used to "self check" as well as to highlight information to pupils.

Word online: immersive reader - translation tool

smilne21 — 2026-03-08 13:10:32 UTC

Using the toggles on the menu that appears on the right, translate the text. Use all the same features available in English in the chosen language. Do pupils always need to read the "information", the "source" in English in order to be able to engage in lessons. Are there occasions whereby removing the language barrier might improve understanding and learning over time? There is a time and a place for this tool. Sometimes it may be that pupils write in their home language and the teacher accesses it in English. How are we best able to assess understanding rather than skill in English? (big question!).

Word online: immersive reader - pronunciation and visual dictionary

smilne21 — 2026-03-08 13:12:00 UTC

Select a word within Immersive Reader and explore how to pronounce it, what it might mean (image) and, ultimately, how to use that vocabulary ourselves.

Live captions

smilne21 — 2026-03-08 13:17:01 UTC

Whilst in 'presenting' mode, right click and turn on subtitles. The features within the subtitles enable: local placement options; language options - identify the language of the speaker, but also the preferred language of the subtitles. Would it be helpful for pupils to have a translation of the lesson happening in front of them? For hearing impaired pupils, the subtitles being on can enable access just as it would with the subtitles being switched on for a video clip.

Live captions on 1:1 devices

smilne21 — 2026-03-08 13:23:14 UTC

Using the same process, if pupils have access to the slides directly in front of them, the captions can be gathered for them in different ways. For example, pupil A who wears a hearing aid could have access to the subtitles in English; pupils B might be from Ukraine and could be listening to the teacher in English bit accessing the subtitles in Ukranian - all in front of them. The slides could be recorded whilst the teacher speaks so that these pupils can listen back and also read the subtitles that were also recorded.

Accessibility in Windows 10

smilne21 — 2026-03-08 13:27:03 UTC

https://www.callscotland.org.uk/downloads/posters-and-leaflets/using-windows-10-accessibility-tools-to-support-learners-with-visual-difficulties/

LOTS of tools within Windows to help support those with visual difficulties. Downloadable pdf from CALL Scotland.

Seeing AI - to describe what can be seen

smilne21 — 2026-03-08 13:35:59 UTC

Download Seeing AI and hold it up to an image or something that needs describing (a supermarket shelf, a painting, the whiteboard). Seeing AI will 'scan' what is in the photoviewer on the device and give a full, detailed audio description about the scanned "thing".

Seeing AI - to read aloud text in a book or on a leaflet

smilne21 — 2026-03-08 13:36:09 UTC

Download Seeing AI and hold it over some text. It will scan the text and then read it aloud with accuracy. The product struggles with words that are split across lines and does not have 100% accurate pronunciation.

At the moment, the reader's voice cannot be altered.

Seeing AI will read handwritten text (with increasing accuracy) and typed information.

wordsift.org

smilne21 — 2026-03-08 13:42:43 UTC

Paste your text into the 'landing page' on wordsift. Once the text has been entered, ask it to "sift" it. A wordcloud (editable: alphabetical, frequency etc) is created. All words in the word cloud can be explored. The sifting of the vocabulary allows for the 'sifter' to explore the language through a visual thesaurus, a series of images and the vocabulary in context within the full text (including a highlighted copy of the original text, showing where the words can be found).

rewordify.com

smilne21 — 2026-03-08 23:10:00 UTC

Input your text into the box. Ask it to "rewordify". This tool will make the language more accessible (through the controls, you are able to adjust your anticipated reading age). Any replaced vocabulary, terminology or phrase is revised in the text and indicated by being highlighted in yellow so that the reader can still access the more ambitious language. There are learning tools to support learners to access the text, ie worksheets for preteaching, cloze texts and more.

Microsoft translator

smilne21 — 2026-03-08 23:12:45 UTC

A free app - downloadable on Apple and Android devices. This can be placed between two speakers - huge range of languages available. Real time, reasonable translations on screen. Real time written translations, but also pause your conversation and play aloud if needed.

Can be used to facilitate conversation between peers, support adults to share important information with EAL speakers and also to work with parents and carers (ie annual reviews).

iPad: Speak Screen

smilne21 — 2026-03-08 23:14:42 UTC

Accessibility feature available through the settings on iPads. Select 'Accessiblity' and then turn on 'Speak Screen' to enable the onscreen information to be read aloud to the user.

Plickers

smilne21 — 2026-03-09 09:26:31 UTC

Register for FREE on the website - up to 5 questions at no cost. You can pay for more, but 5 is often adequate. Using the website, create printed cards for each person - named to the individual (up to 63). Ask multiple choice questions to the room (staff professional learning or classroom lessons). Using your device, scan the room and identify which people have answered what ... great live assessment - online recording of the responses. Identify who is engaging and who isn't. Identify misconceptions.