Below is a list of assistive technology software available for UMass users. You can find many of these software at the ATC, along with the following hardware:
- Dell OptiPlex Windows workstations
- iMac Macintosh/Windows dual boot workstations
- Epson Perfection flatbed scanners
- MagniSight Explorer Custom Focus CCTV
- FUJITSU Document Scanner ScanSnap iX500
(Nuance Power PDF Standard V1.0 (for Windows)/Nuance PDF Converter for Mac 4.0 (for Mac) - Logitech ClearChat H390 USB Headsets (for speech recognition)
For questions on hardware or software offerings with the ATC at UMass Amherst, please contact us at @email.
| Software | Description |
|---|---|
| ABBYY FineReader Express | Accurately converts paper and image documents into editable formats including Microsoft Office and searchable PDF – enabling users to reuse their content, archive them more efficiently and retrieve more quickly. FineReader eliminates the need to retype documents and ensures that important information is readily available. It instantly provides access to the entire document of any size and supports 190 languages in any combinations. |
| ABBYY FineReader Professional |
Accurately converts paper and image documents into editable formats including Microsoft Office and searchable PDF – enabling users to reuse their content, archive them more efficiently and retrieve more quickly. FineReader eliminates the need to retype documents and ensures that important information is readily available. It instantly provides access to the entire document of any size and supports 190 languages in any combinations. |
| Canon Capture Perfect | Delivers the image processing features needed to obtain the highest image quality from Canon document scanners, even in the most rigorous scanning environments. It is designed to help maximize Canon scanner performance, increase productivity, and streamline document imaging workflows. |
| Dragon Naturally Speaking |
Voice recognition software for PC. |
| Foxit PDF Editor |
Foxit PDF Editor is UMass Amherst's official PDF editing application. Foxit PDF Editor software provides accessibility support for PDF documents and forms. Foxit offers all major PDF Editing functionality, including accessibility full check and report, fill and design, scan and Optical Character Recognition (OCR), robust PDF editing, and eSigning capabilities. |
| Inspiration (Version 10) | A visual thinking and learning tool. Creates diagrams or maps as a way to generate new ideas, structure your thoughts, and visually organize your thinking. The software also supports an Outline View for taking notes and organizing information, and a Presentation Manager to communicate ideas clearly and demonstrate understanding and knowledge. |
| JAWS (Job Access With Speech) | Screen reading software for computer users whose vision loss prevents them from seeing screen content or navigating with a mouse. JAWS provides speech and Braille output for computer applications on PCs. |
| Kurzweil 1000 | Makes printed or electronic text accessible to people with blindness and visual impairments — speaking text aloud in a variety of natural-sounding voices that can be modified to individual preferences. |
| Kurzweil 3000+Firefly | Document reading software is award-winning educational software designed to provide literacy support for those who struggle with literacy in the classroom, at home, or in the workplace. Built-in features for reading, writing and study skills helps students to become independent learners, active participants within inclusion classrooms or sheltered instruction programs; but most importantly, to keep up with peers and achieve their full academic potential. Students can use Kurzweil 3000 throughout their school career and beyond across a variety of platforms (Mac, PC, mobile, and on the web), utilize the literacy support for becoming lifelong learners. Available at no additional cost for members of the campus community with a valid UMass Amherst Net ID and password. |
| NVDA/NV Access (Non Visual Desktop Access) | A free “screen reader” which enables individuals who are blind or low vision to use computers. It reads the text on the screen in a computerized voice. You can control what is read to you by moving the cursor to the relevant area of text with a mouse or the arrows on your keyboard. NVDA can also convert the text into braille if the computer user owns a device called a “braille display”. |
| Robobraille, “Alternate media made Easy” | A web-based service capable of automatically transforming documents into a variety of alternative formats for equal access to text for people with print disabilities. Robobraille provides 24/7 self-serve and is free to users with a umass.edu e-mail address. |
| A screen magnification and document reading software for individuals who have low vision. |