[Athen] natural reader for the Mac

[Linda Petty]

This is a good option, but you need to pay for better speech synthesis to
make it functional.It's USD 69.50, gives you highlighting and ability to
read PDFs, convert text files to audio files, etc.
Linda Petty


On 12-06-12 3:01 PM, "athen-list-request at mailman1.u.washington.edu"
<athen-list-request at mailman1.u.washington.edu> wrote:


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>Today's Topics:

>

>   1. RE: Alternatives to BlackBoard Secure Exam Browser with   JAWS

>      and ZoomText? (Teresa Haven)

>   2. Registration for June 26 MIT accessibility and usability

>      Webinar is working now (Prof Norm Coombs)

>   3. Mac Text to speech Software (Nies, Gerry)

>   4. Re: Mac Text to speech Software (Jeffrey Dell)

>   5. Re: Mac Text to speech Software (Shawn Foster)

>   6. Re: Mac Text to speech Software (Nettie Fischer)

>

>

>----------------------------------------------------------------------

>

>Message: 1

>Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2012 19:00:56 +0000

>From: Teresa Haven <Teresa.Haven at asu.edu>

>Subject: RE: [Athen] Alternatives to BlackBoard Secure Exam Browser

>        with    JAWS    and ZoomText?

>To: "'mikegibson at boisestate.edu'" <mikegibson at boisestate.edu>,

>        "'Access        Technology Higher Education Network'"

>        <athen-list at u.washington.edu>

>Message-ID:

>        

><41DBE0E04D07504A86D68558FE7BAB6B068AC442 at exmbw03.asurite.ad.asu.edu>

>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>

>Hi, Mike.  Due to the known incompatibility issues with AT and many of

>the secure exam browsers (ExamGuard, Respondus Lockdown, etc.) we

>regularly notify faculty that they may need to reconsider the use of such

>browsers overall ("are they really necessary?") or at least be willing to

>offer a workable alternative to a student who relies on AT.  We also

>bring into the conversation the fact that the exam environment should be

>equivalent for the entire class - one student should not be forced to

>take an exam with a proctor in an on-campus testing center during

>business hours if everyone else gets to take it unproctored in their

>bedroom at 10pm if they so choose.

>

>Hope this helps,

>

>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

>Teresa LW Haven, Ph.D.

>Supervisor, Alternative Format Services

>Disability Resource Center

>Arizona State University

>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

>

>

>

>From: athen-list-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu

>[mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Mike

>Gibson

>Sent: Monday, June 11, 2012 11:32 AM

>To: Access Technology Higher Education Network

>Subject: [Athen] Alternatives to BlackBoard Secure Exam Browser with JAWS

>and ZoomText?

>

>Hi Everyone,

>

>A couple of months ago I posted a similar question regarding the use of

>JAWS and ZoomText with Secure Exam Browser. I received a couple of

>responses with alternatives due to Secure Exam browser's accessibility

>issues. I have through my own carelessness inadvertently deleted thos

>messages.

>

>If anyone has alternatives to Secure Exam Browser being used in testing

>centers on your campus will you please send those suggestions along. The

>testing center here on campus is willing to listen if I have information

>from other colleges and universities.

>

>Thanks in advance.

>

>Mike

>

>

>

>Mike Gibson

>Assistive Technology Coordinator

>Boise State University

>Disability Resource Center

>1910 University Dr.

>Boise, ID 83725-1375

>O: (208) 426-1583

>F: (208) 426-3785

>Email: mikegibson at boisestate.edu<mailto:mikegibson at boisestate.edu>

>

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>------------------------------

>

>Message: 2

>Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2012 21:21:12 -0700

>From: Prof Norm Coombs <norm.coombs at gmail.com>

>Subject: [Athen] Registration for June 26 MIT accessibility and

>        usability Webinar is working now

>To: easi at listserv.icors.org,    "athen-list-u.washington.edu"

>        <athen-list at u.washington.edu>,  "DSSHE-L-LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU"

>        <DSSHE-L at LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU>

>Cc: itd-jnl at listserv.icors.org

>Message-ID: <6.0.3.0.2.20120611211913.07a767f8 at pop.gmail.com>

>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

>

>Thank some of you for letting me know of the problem you were having in

>getting registered for the MIT accessibility and usability cooperation at

>MIT Webinar

>I found it and it should work now

>

>I am sorry about the problems registering for the MIT June 26 Webinar

>It was a confusion over which of our staff was doing what and things fell

>through a crack. To the best of my knowledge, I have got it fixed. If you

>go to our Webinar promo page you will find the MIT Webinar as the second

>june Webinar.

>http://easi.cc/clinic.htm

>

>If there still is a problem, first try refreshing the page as you may be

>receiving the old page from your cache.  If the problem persists, please

>send me a complaint.

>

>Norm

>

>

>

>  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

>It's never too late to become what you might have been. George Eliot

>Once you choose hope, anything's possible.  Christopher Reeve

>Norman Coombs norm.coombs at gmail.com

>

>Making Online Teaching Accessible: Inclusive Course Design for Students

>with Disabilities by Norman Coombs published by Jossey-Bass Oct 10,2010

>http://www.josseybass.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0470499044.html

>

>

>

>

>------------------------------

>

>Message: 3

>Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2012 08:32:04 -0700

>From: "Nies, Gerry" <gerry.nies at email.und.edu>

>Subject: [Athen] Mac Text to speech Software

>To: Access Technology Higher Education Network

>        <athen-list at u.washington.edu>

>Message-ID:

>        

><118804CFE943714ABAC13E16392680F814C42CA936 at VA3DIAXVS501.RED001.local>

>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>

>I am not a Mac user but trying to learn.

>

>I have a student with a Mac who needs text to speech for his text books.

>He uses OpenOffice for word processing and from what I can determine

>Voiceover does not work with OpenOffice. Nor does Mac version of

>Read&Write.

>

>Is there any no/low cost software out there?

>

>Any help would be greatly appreciated.

>

>Thanks

>Gerry Nies

>University of North Dakota

>

>

>

>------------------------------

>

>Message: 4

>Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2012 11:43:12 -0400

>From: Jeffrey Dell <jeffreydell99 at gmail.com>

>Subject: Re: [Athen] Mac Text to speech Software

>To: Access Technology Higher Education Network

>        <athen-list at u.washington.edu>

>Message-ID:

>        

><CADWGbzji1DBuEa4zsxv65LpZk6yWimCe1ZUHaaJgG+cauw51GA at mail.gmail.com>

>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

>

>The TTS option for Mac works well.  I believe that as long as you can

>highlight text it will read it.

>http://www.csuohio.edu/offices/disability/alttext/programs/vo.html

>The Speech settings can also be set under the Speech option in System

>preferences.

>I've also heard that Ghost Reader is a good cheap program.

>Jeff

>

>On 6/12/12, Nies, Gerry <gerry.nies at email.und.edu> wrote:

>> I am not a Mac user but trying to learn.

>>

>> I have a student with a Mac who needs text to speech for his text

>>books. He

>> uses OpenOffice for word processing and from what I can determine

>>Voiceover

>> does not work with OpenOffice. Nor does Mac version of Read&Write.

>>

>> Is there any no/low cost software out there?

>>

>> Any help would be greatly appreciated.

>>

>> Thanks

>> Gerry Nies

>> University of North Dakota

>>

>>

>>

>

>

>------------------------------

>

>Message: 5

>Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2012 09:47:06 -0700

>From: Shawn Foster <fosters at sou.edu>

>Subject: Re: [Athen] Mac Text to speech Software

>To: Access Technology Higher Education Network

>        <athen-list at u.washington.edu>

>Message-ID:

>        

><CALV2pm_L1NTicW1Z3MyB9oGVBDM-vyhrKBt_m3Vw1CjXOtib0w at mail.gmail.com>

>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

>

>I've used VoiceOver with OpenOffice in the past (Snow Leopard), and Apple

>still lists OO as a supported

>app<http://www.apple.com/accessibility/voiceover/applications.html>.

>It might be helpful to make sure that the student has updated both the OS

>and OO.

>

>If your student needs text to speech access rather than a full

>screenreader, then using Apple's built-in Speech will probably be a good

>solution. I send these links to a lot of students:

>Speech is the built-in text reading software your Mac has. There are great

>instructions in video and print versions for using it for various purposes

>To read text in TextEdit, Safari, and many other programs:

>http://etc.usf.edu/techease/4all/vision/how-can-i-use-text-to-speech-in-ma

>c-os-x/

>To read a PDF file aloud:

>http://etc.usf.edu/techease/4all/learning/how-do-i-use-previews-speech-fea

>ture-to-listen-to-a-pdf/

>To automatically convert a text file to an audio file in iTunes:

>http://etc.usf.edu/techease/4all/learning/how-do-i-use-the-speech-service-

>in-mac-os-x-to-record-text-into-an-audio-file/

>

>And I'd second Jeff's statement - GhostReader is a good inexpensive choice

>with some nice voices.

>

>Hope that's helpful,

>Shawn

>*Shawn Foster, MA*

>Assistive Technology Specialist

>Disability Resources

>*Southern Oregon University*

>(541)552-6213

>atatsou.blogspot.com

>*

>*

>

>

>

>On Tue, Jun 12, 2012 at 8:32 AM, Nies, Gerry

><gerry.nies at email.und.edu>wrote:

>

>> I am not a Mac user but trying to learn.

>>

>> I have a student with a Mac who needs text to speech for his text books.

>> He uses OpenOffice for word processing and from what I can determine

>> Voiceover does not work with OpenOffice. Nor does Mac version of

>>Read&Write.

>>

>> Is there any no/low cost software out there?

>>

>> Any help would be greatly appreciated.

>>

>> Thanks

>> Gerry Nies

>> University of North Dakota

>>

>>

>>

>> _______________________________________________

>> athen-list mailing list

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>Message: 6

>Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2012 11:08:07 -0700

>From: Nettie Fischer <nettiet at gmail.com>

>Subject: Re: [Athen] Mac Text to speech Software

>To: Access Technology Higher Education Network

>        <athen-list at u.washington.edu>

>Message-ID:

>        

><CAH_8v88+Y25ghwVvw+r5yoaH9JHGgjGGsJM32sq1+jW-TapkTw at mail.gmail.com>

>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

>

>Take a look at Natural Reader; I have used the windows version and it is

>very good (my opinion) - I am not familiar with the mac version but they

>do

>offer a free version of the software.

>

>Nettie's Nickel

>

>On Tue, Jun 12, 2012 at 8:32 AM, Nies, Gerry

><gerry.nies at email.und.edu>wrote:

>

>> I am not a Mac user but trying to learn.

>>

>> I have a student with a Mac who needs text to speech for his text books.

>> He uses OpenOffice for word processing and from what I can determine

>> Voiceover does not work with OpenOffice. Nor does Mac version of

>>Read&Write.

>>

>> Is there any no/low cost software out there?

>>

>> Any help would be greatly appreciated.

>>

>> Thanks

>> Gerry Nies

>> University of North Dakota

>>

>>

>>

>> _______________________________________________

>> athen-list mailing list

>> athen-list at mailman1.u.washington.edu

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>>

>

>

>--

>*Nettie T. Fischer, ATP

>Assistive Technology Professional*

>*RESNA Certified*

>*California Certified NPA

>Nettiet, ATP Consultants

>www.nettietatpconsultants.com

>[916] 222-3492 Office*

>*[916] 686-1860 FAX

>(916) 704-1456 Cell*

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