Assistive technology: Explore what is right for you
Find tools and services to help you study your way
What is assistive technology?
Assistive technology refers to tools and features that make studying more inclusive and accessible for students with different learning needs.
If you have an Equitable Learning Plan, you can book an appointment with your Equitable Learning Facilitator (ELF) to learn more about how assistive technology can support your studies.
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All UNSW students and staff have access to Microsoft Office. If you need support to get started, please visit MyIT. Once you have access to Microsoft Office, you can use the following accessibility tools:
- Immersive Reader is a flexible reading tool that lets you adjust text size, spacing, fonts and background colours. You can also opt to have content read aloud. It's available in Word, Edge, OneNote and Teams.
- Reading Coach is great for practising reading aloud and improving pronunciation. You'll get gentle feedback and words to work on.
- Speaker Coach is a built-in rehearsal tool that gives you private, real-time feedback on how you present, including your pace, clarity and use of filler words.
- Colour filters are a great way to change your screen colours to suit your vision or reduce visual stress. Options include greyscale, inverted colours and filters for colour blindness.
- Use live captions on Microsoft Teams during online classes, meetings and group calls. These captions are only visible to you.
- Dictation in Microsoft Word allows you to speak instead of type.
- Voice access lets you navigate and control your PC with your voice.
- Magnifier allows you to zoom in on parts of your screen to make text, buttons and visuals easier to see. It's useful if you experience low vision or eye strain.
- Narrator is a built-in screen reader for Windows that reads out what's on your screen and helps you navigate without needing a mouse.
- Live captions in Windows 11 allow you to instantly add captions to any video, call or audio on your device.
Having trouble? Visit Microsoft Accessibility Support below.
Conversion tools
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Need a hand with reading? These tools can read out web pages, PDFs and notes:
NaturalReader reads web pages aloud in natural-sounding voices.
- Helperbird offers text-to-speech and other reading aids, like font adjustments and screen masking.
- Immersive Reader is a flexible reading tool that lets you adjust text size, spacing, fonts and background colours. You can also opt to have content read aloud. It's available in Word, Edge, OneNote and Teams.
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These tools turn your voice into text, helping you get your ideas down quickly:
- Microsoft Dictation allows you to speak instead of type into Microsoft Word.
- Dictation.io allows you to speak into your browser and see your words appear instantly. You can save, copy or email your notes once you're done.
- Equatio lets you dictate maths and science equations using your voice. It's ideal if typing formulas is tricky or slow.
- Read&Write allows you to speak your thoughts and have them transcribed. It also has bonus tools to support reading, writing and study.
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These tools can scan your handwritten notes and turn them into editable text:
- Google Drive + Docs allow you to scan your handwritten notes and will convert them into editable text using built-in OCR features.
- Adobe Scan lets you take photos of handwritten or printed text and turn them into searchable, editable documents.
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Do you have a file that's tricky to access? SensusAccess lets you upload a file and convert it into accessible formats such as MP3 audio, Braille or ePub. It's free to use for all UNSW students.
More tools
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Everybody learns differently. These tools can help you organise notes, record lectures, make flashcards or turn your study materials into another format that really works for you:
Quizlet lets you create your own flashcards, study guides and practice tests. Plus, you can explore study materials that others have made on your topic.
Genio allows you to record lectures and link your notes to specific moments, making revision much easier later.
Google Keep lets you take notes, add voice memos, attach images and sync across your devices so you can capture ideas anytime.
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These tools can help you map out your ideas visually. They're perfect for planning, brainstorming and seeing the bigger picture.
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These apps are designed to support students who are blind or have low vision. They can help you access text, understand your surroundings and get real-time assistance when you need it.
Be My Eyes connects you with volunteers or AI to describe what’s around you, read labels or provide support when visual input is needed.
Seeing AI narrates the world around you. It reads documents, describes people, recognises currency and more.
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If you use an iPhone, iPad or Mac, there are built-in tools to help you personalise how your device works:
Live speech allows you to record and use your own voice when typing messages or speaking in calls.
VoiceOver lets you hear what's happening on your screen and navigate your device using gestures.
Braille guides are available for Apple devices. They help you connect and use Braille displays with iOS and macOS.
Accessibility Assistant Shortcut helps you discover which Apple accessibility features might work best for you based on your preferences.
Live captions on FaceTime helps you follow conversations more easily during video calls.
Mac keyboard shortcuts give you quick access to accessibility features and navigation tools using your keyboard.
Assistive technology at UNSW
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UNSW offers assistive tech spaces in the Main Library and Law Library. If you have an Equitable Learning Plan, your Equitable Learning Facilitator can help you access and get the most from these spaces.
Students who have registered with Equitable Learning Services can access the following if required:
- Assistive technology rooms in the Main Library and Law Library at the Kensington campus
- Individual Library tours
- Assistance with using Library resources, online and in print
- Assistance retrieving items from shelves
- Assistance with photocopying.
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Echo360 is a service that provides you with access to audio-visual recordings of your lectures. When Echo360 is enabled for your course, you’ll see links available on your course’s Moodle page. You can stream the recordings online or even download them for later use.
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Have a question?
Contact the Equitable Learning Services team for assistance or visit the UNSW emergency support page for immediate help.