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Spring 2024 ARS Information!

Read Now for important information about testing accomodations, access and mobility, ARS office operations, and accommodation notifications.

Important: Send accommodation notifications to your professors through the ARS Hub ASAP.

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Technology for Students

Digital Textbooks

Investigate to see if the book you are looking for is available in a digital format by searching the Accessible Textbook Finder. This service helps providers, students, faculty, and publishers find the products, services, and up-to-date accessibility information they need. AccessText is available to everyone; no membership required. AccessText may indicate that the textbook being sought is available from its own repository or from another source including:

ARS connected students needing assistance obtaining a digital textbook should complete the Alternative Format / E-Text - Information, Procedure and Request Form.

If no electronic copy is available from any of the sources ARS can convert a 'hard-copy' into a digital copy; please Please note that such requests will take a minimum of 10 Business Days to fulfill. Textbooks converted by ARS may need to have the binding broken to be scanned. The UNC Student Stores Coursepack office will put a spiral binder on the book at no charge; however they may not be willing to buy back the book at the end of the semester once the binding has been broken.

Operating System Accessibility Features

Planning and Organization of Homework

Supporting Writing and Reading

Text to speech

  • ClaroRead - MAC & Win - is the primary component of the ClaroRead suite and has a text to speech feature. It is available at no cost from ITS.
  • Windows 10 has Narrator.
  • The macOS has the VoiceOver text-to-speech feature built into the operating system: look in System Preferences, Accessibility, VoiceOver for options.
  • Immersive Reader is part of the Learning Tools suite and is available in Word, Word Online, OneNote, OneNote Online, Outlook Online, and Microsoft Edge.
  • Natural Reader Online is free and reads many types of documents including DOC, TXT, PDF. Word Talk is a free Word plugin, which also allows saving to MP3 which can be listened to anywhere.

Speech to text

Mind mapping

These programs allow content created visually to be exported as plain text. This can be a good way of getting started with a skeleton of a plan for an assignment, paper, notes, or research.

Grammar and spelling

Supporting notetaking and recording lectures

  • GLEAN - can be used for in-person classes and over Zoom - available from ARS for students with this accommodation - contact ARS for access
  • OneNote
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