Disability & Wellbeing Service Assistive technology

MindGenius is an organisational tool that allows you to create mind maps. It's helpful for essay planning and preparation. You can use MindGenius for many other study tasks. These can include exam revision, to-do lists, notetaking, and group work.

Mind maps can be exported to a variety of applications, including Word and PowerPoint. The effort you put into MindGenius gives you a starting point for your essay or presentation.

MindGenius is available for download from PEGASUS. For more information on MindGenius features, there is the MindGenius Education Resource Guide.

The University has invested in a take-home licence for MindGenius. This allows staff and students to download MindGenius for their for free.

To access:

1. log in to PEGASUS 
2. go to the ‘Additional Services’ tab
3. look for the ‘Other Services’ section
4. click the link to ‘Available Licensed Software’. The download link is ‘Mindgenius (Student Use)’

For staff, you'll find ‘Available Licensed Software’ under the 'Information Services' tab on PEGASUS.

Read&Write is a text-to-speech tool. You can use it when reading text on your computer. For example, when writing an essay in Word, reading your email, or researching on the internet.

Read&Write has a built-in dictionary to allow you to check on definitions as you read. If you get confused with same-sounding words, the homophone checker could be useful to you.

Read&Write is available on computers within the university's centrally-managed labs. It can be made available on any university-owned computer.

Get started with:

• Read&Write for Windows: instructional videos of individual tools
• Read&Write at University: video training guides for Higher Education students
• Texthelp Academy: training page for University students using Read&Write. Includes Read&Write at University series of videos

Earlier version Read&Write 11.5 videos include:

• Read&Write for Windows - Office365 Support
• Read&Write for Google Chrome™ - PDF Reader in Office 365

Other Read&Write support:

• Read&Write Gold (for Windows) Training Guides
• Read & Write is a Texthelp product: Texthelp: Read & Write features

You can also install voices to be used with Read&Write: Scottish voices - Stuart and Heather (free to HE/FE Education)

The Microsoft Learning Tools set is natively built into Office 365 and Microsoft Edge applications. It helps improve reading, writing, and comprehension.

Immersive Reader

With Immersive Reader, you can change page colour, set text spacing, and read aloud text. Immersive Reader can be a productivity tool when managing a heavy reading load.

The following short videos are helpful in getting started with the Immersive Reader:

• You Can Improve Reading Skills With Microsoft Learning Tools
• Immersive Reader with Word (desktop) and Word Online

The following videos are part of a blog from Craig Mill of CallScotland. They look at supporting students with visual impairments. But, they are helpful for all:

• Using Immersive Reading tools in Microsoft Word to customise the font / text and listen to it spoken aloud
• Using Learning Tools in Microsoft Edge Browser to customise font/text, layout and hear it read aloud

You can also access Read Aloud in the Edge browser from the right-click menu. This is useful for reading PDFs.

JAWS is a screen reader. It enables people who are visually impaired, or blind, to make use of a computer by reading aloud what's on the screen. JAWS gives the user a unique set of intelligent tools. These help the user to navigate and access applications, web pages, and all screen content.

Students who need to use JAWS can be added to the JAWS user group. Please contact us.

JAWS is a FreedomScientific product. Link to FreedomScientific's JAWS Headquarters.

ZoomText provides magnification of text and screen reading to allow visually impaired students full access to Windows applications.

Students who require to use ZoomText can be added to the ZoomText user group, please Contact Us.

ZoomText is an ai squared product. Link to ZoomText features on ai squared's website.

Kurzweil 1000 is a reading system that can read aloud text on the screen. Kurzweil 1000 is designed for users who are blind or visually impaired. It does not have a visual interface. Students who require to use Kurzweil 1000 can be added to the Kurzweil 1000 user group. Please contact us.

Braille embossers transfer computer-generated text into a printed Braille output. The Braille Embosser can be used to create Braille copies of your work, handouts, or research.

CCTVs allow you to magnify the object or book you wish to look at on a larger screen.

Place a book or object on the movable XY table. Adjust the magnification level and display colours to the settings that are best for your eyesight. Your document will be magnified and displayed on the screen.

You can find out about the specific CCTVs available by looking at the Assistive Technologies Room.

There is a selection of different keyboards and mice available for you to use. For example, large print, high-contrast keyboards, and trackball mice.