What is Read & Write?
Read & Write is available at no cost to students who are eligible for text-to-speech support as an accommodation. Read & Write works within many of our campus learning environments such as:
- One Drive, including Word online
- within Blackboard
- on websites
- within documents such as PDFs and ePUBs
Read & Write has over 20 tools to help you work and study more effectively. Some of these tools are:
- text read aloud within documents or on the web (aka text-to-speech)
- dictation when writing papers or brainstorming
- highlighters and the ability to collect highlighted content into a new document
- annotation tools – ability to mark up a document
- dictionaries
- translation
- grammar and spell-check
Visit the Feature list or YouTube playlist for an introduction to each tool.
How do I install Read & Write?
Read & Write works in the following places which you can download on your device:
Browser Extensions
Tablets and Mobile
The YouTube playlist includes installation instructions for the above options.
The Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge extensions work best when you’re working online such as writing papers within Word Online, when you are reading or writing within Blackboard, or interacting with content on the web. The Windows and Mac desktop versions work best if you download content to your computer to read, write papers locally on your computer, or if you don’t always have access to the internet.
Orbit Note PDF Reader
Students also have access to a PDF reader called Orbit Note which provides the same features as Read & Write but for use within PDF files. Visit the Orbit Note website and select the pink “Try it For Free” button to get this Chrome Extension.
What if I need support?
In addition to the above information, the following resources and video tutorials are available:
- Texthelp Academy – Videos, guides, and FAQs to help you understand what buttons on the toolbar do and how they can support your learning. Choose the section dedicated to Read & Write or Orbit Note by scrolling down the page.
- Read & Write for Windows – YouTube playlist
- Read & Write for Windows Quick Reference Guide (PDF)
- Read & Write for Google Chrome – YouTube playlist
- Read & Write for Google Chrome Quick Reference Guide (PDF)
- Read & Write for Mac Quick Reference Guide (PDF)
- Equatio for math – YouTube playlist
Your Accommodations Specialist will schedule an appointment to review the above instructions and ensure you are able to access Read & Write.