ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY BLOG | INVENTIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

As a dyslexic high school student my iPad, with a number of assistive apps, has become a very valuable tool. With my iPad I can read and fill out a PDF using text-to-speech, read a book with Voice Dream Reader, or map out my ideas with Inspiration Maps. The iPad mini is a perfect size for my needs allowing me to read sitting up, or reclining comfortably while listening to a book. Before I got the iPad I would either be tied to a computer to read using text-to-speech, or reading on the tiny screen of my iPhone. Here's a list of my favorite iPad apps and how I use them to help me both in and out of the classroom.

iBooks is reading app from Apple. The app is somewhat sparse in terms of accessibility features so I tend to use it sparingly. Unfortunately, iBooks is difficult to use for people who prefer text-to-speech with synchronized highlighting. Speak Selection allows iBooks users to read one page at a time with text-to-speech and synchronized highlighting, but users must highlight each page manually in order to have Speak Selection read it. VoiceOver is another option for text-to-speech within iBooks, but it does not include the synchronized highlighting that is helpful to many with dyslexia. 

PDF Expert 5 is a well designed PDF management app for the iPad. The app includes many useful features that allow you to read, edit, and annotate PDF documents easily. Unlike some other feature -rich apps, PDF Expert 5 does not feel cultured. The elegant design makes the app easy to use. PDF Expert is an assistive app because of its text-to-speech integration with the added benefit of extra features.

One caveat, while the app is good for non-disabled and dyslexic users, I would not recommend the app for VoiceOver users because of some VoiceOver problems I have found. Readdle, the maker of the app, should work on fixing these VoiceOver problems so blind and visually impaired can also benefit from the app. 

PDF files can be imported from numerous cloud storage services including Google Drive, Drop Box and SkyDrive or using the "open-in" feature of many other iOS apps. You can also view other file types, but the built in text-to-speech reader is only available for PDF documents. Files can be organized into folders or dragged and dropped into different sections.

PDF Expert's text-to-speech function works with any PDF with digital text. It does not work with PDF documents that have text within images. To read a compatible PDF, turn on text-to-speech in the reading mode menu and then press play. You can start reading at the middle or end of a page by highlighting a word and pressing "read from here." Text is read with the default iOS voice that many may recognize as the voice of Siri. Unfortunately, you cannot purchase additional higher quality voices. The app also requires you to re-enable text-to-speech every time you switch PDF documents. This is inconvenient if you switch are between PDF documents quickly.

Click read more below to continue reading about PDF Expert.

Viewing a PDF document is also a breeze. PDF Expert includes a quick scrolling mode and thumb nail view to allow you to easily navigate large PDFs. You can also change the background to sepia or night for easier viewing.

Aside from the text-to-speech features PDF Expert includes a number of editing and annotation features. Annotation options include highlighting, underlining, shapes, strike-through, stamps, signatures, and text. These annotation options are intuitive to use and you can easily can the color of highlights and other annotations. If you would like to add text to a PDF document you do not need to worry about overlapping any original text because the app automatically wraps your text so it will not overlap. Unfortunately, the app will not read your text annotations back to you using the built in reader, but you can always use the built in Speak Selection feature.  

PDF Expert also includes a review mode which allows you to edit and markup existing PDF documents. To learn more about this feature see the below video.

With PDF Expert's easy to use annotation and editing features and its built in text-to-speech reader PDF Reader is an ideal app for any iPad user who wants increase productivity. PDF Expert 5 is compatible with iPads running iOS 6 or higher and is available for $9.99 in the App Store.

iReadWrite is an iPad writing app that is designed to benefit struggling readers and writers. iReadWrite includes a number of writing features that makes writing easier. One such feature is contextual word prediction that suggests the word you were looking for. Word prediction is great for poor spellers because much of the time you only need to type a few letters before the word is suggested. Other extremely helpful feature is phonetic spell checking. The spell checker will highlight any misspelled word in red; just as you would expect any word processor to do. But it will highlight words that sound the same or are commonly confused in blue. If you are still unsure of which word to use you can press on the word to hear the pronunciation and definition. The app even has a talking dictionary with associated images. All text can be read aloud with text-to-speech to help caught mistakes. For dyslexic users the app includes the OpenDyslexic font which maybe easier for dyslexics to read. Once you are done writing your document there are many sharing options. Click here to download iReadWrite for $19.99 in the App Store.

Click read more below to view screenshots of iReadWrite in action.