Disability Services / Assistive Technology

Assistive Technology

If you require assistive technology for your studies you may be assessed by a Disability Services Officer as being eligible to use the Assistive Technology Labs. These labs provide students with assistive software and hardware that addresses a range of disabilities, such as vision, learning and mobility impairments. These labs also provide access to standard lab computer resources (core programs such as Word and Excel, printing facilities and Internet access).

The following Assistive Technologies are available at these facilities:

Software

  • Dragon Naturally Speaking 8: A voice recognition program useful for students with mobility or learning impairments. Dragon Naturally Speaking converts speech into text and allows the user to control most of the functions of standard applications (such as Internet Explorer and MS Word) using a set of intuitive voice commands.
  • JAWS (Job Access With Speech 7): Screen reading software for students with low vision or blindness. JAWS uses a speech synthesizer and the computers sound card to read aloud information on the screen. JAWS includes a comprehensive list of keystrokes that gives users access to a wide range information, software applications and the internet.
  • Kurzweil 3000 Version 9: A comprehensive, scanning, reading and study skills package that supports low vision users as well as users with learning disabilities such as dyslexia. K3000 employs multi-sensory learning technology to enhance text recognition, fluency, language comprehension and decoding. It includes powerful optical character recognition (OCR) technology for scanning hard copy or electronic documents such as PDF files. Scanned text can be magnified and read aloud via text-to-speech in a variety of natural sounding voices. K3000 features a word processer that can ‘talk-as-you-type’ and a range of study skills tools including a recursive dictionary, a spelling checker, word prediction, phoneme support and annotation capabilities. K3000 is available on workstations with attached scanners.
  • ZoomText 9: For students with moderate vision impairment, ZoomText is an easy to use screen magnification program that enlarges the computer display. Students can customize the magnification level and alter the appearance of their display using a variety of flexible settings.
  • Co:Witer SOLO: Word prediction software that works alongside standard word processors. Includes read-out-loud technology.

Hardware

  • Closed Circuit Television (CCTV): The SmartView and myReader devices provide high quality customisable document magnification for students with vision impairment. The myReader CCTV can ‘capture’ up to 10 pages for later reading and allows the text to be rearranged onscreen to suit the user’s preferences.
  • SARA (Scan and Read Appliance): SARA makes printed documents available to low vision users or the blind using optical character recognition (OCR) technology to scan text and then read it aloud in a variety of voices and languages.

Locations and Access

The Assistive Technology Labs are located on Camperdown Campus at the Fisher Library (Level 3) and at Cumberland Campus on the ground floor of the Health Sciences Library. Entry to these labs is granted by Disability Services and requires Unikey and swipe-card authorisation. Unikey authorisation is granted by the access labs supervisor following a request from Disability Services.

For the Fisher Library, swipe-cards are supplied by Security Services after a request from Disability Services. Students pick up their card at Security Services (level 3 Services Building G12) who are open weekdays from 8.30am – 4pm. You will need your student card.

For the Health Sciences Library, the student provides Property Services with the application form approved by the Disability Services Officer.

Training

University staff provide specialist tuition* in assistive technology at the Camperdown campus on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 2-4pm (or by appointment) and at Cumberland Campus by appointment only. Please contact the Disability Services Officer at your campus to schedule an appointment.

* It is anticipated that most students needing to use the JAWS screen reader for their studies will have already received their basic level training before enrolment. Students who are new to screen reading technology may have their tuition handled by an external organisation (such as Vision Australia). University staff can assist students competent in basic level JAWS with additional tuition in accessing electronic resources and the Universities wider information systems.