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Assistive Software

Here are guides on assistive software assigned by category.

Introduction

The free version of NaturalReader is a Text to Speech software with several free voices. This easy to use software can convert any written text such as MS Word, Webpage, PDF files, and Emails into spoken words. It is available for Windows and Mac users.


Find out more and download NaturalReader

 

IMPORTANT NOTES:

The free version of NaturalReader has limited features. These include a Miniboard to read text in other applications, being able to work with PDF, Docx, TXT and ePub and a limited choice of voices.

Also available are paid versions of NaturalReader with additional features such as more natural sounding voices, batch convertor of scanned PDFs to text, or the ability to save audio files in mp3.

For OCR option, you can also use Adobe Acrobat Pro to convert scanned PDF files into a text document. To read PDF files protected by copyright, you can activate the Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat Pro embedded reading feature. Go to View > Read Out Loud > Activate Read Out Loud. 

After you have downloaded NaturalReader, do sign up and create an account, so that your uploaded documents can be stored in the cloud and easily retrieved.

 

Reading Text in the NaturalReader Window

  1. In Windows, to have a document or webpage being read out, first open it in Natural Reader by clicking on the "+" icon.
  2. It will then be listed under your “Library”.
  3. Click on "More" and select "Document History" to view other documents uploaded. 
  4. Click on the 'Play / Pause" icon to start the reading or pause.
  5. The text will be highlighted as it is read.
     
 

Customising Settings

You can change the voice and speed by using the icon shortcuts on the menu bar. Change the speaker by selecting one of the options under "Choose Voice". Change the speed by selecting one of the options under "Choose Voice Speed".

Using the Floating Bar (in Windows) or Miniboard (in Mac) to Read Text in Other Applications

  1. You can also read any text in other applications (not opened in NaturalReader) by clicking on "More" and selecting the "Miniboard".
  2. A small floating bar or miniboard will be displayed even after opening up your document.
  3. To start the text-to-speech option, first highlight a section of text or select all text.
  4. Then click on the “Play” icon.
  5. To maximise the NaturalReader platform, click on the maximise icon.