What is Read & Write?
Read & Write is text-to-speech (TTS) in two forms: a Google Chrome browser extension and software available for download to your desktop. Read & Write is available at no cost to students who are eligible for text-to-speech support as an accommodation.
How do I install Read & Write?
- If eligible, you will receive an email from CIDI (Center for Inclusive Design & Instruction) containing your username and password, and instructions for signing in to the Member Portal. We recommend bookmarking the sign in page.
- Sign in to CIDI, select “Software” from the menu on the left, then select “Read & Write for PC.” There is also the option to download Equatio.
- You will be taken to a new screen with download instructions. You must select “Agree and Download” at the bottom of the screen for the download to begin.
- Once the download is complete, the program files will appear in the File Explorer. Double click on the Read & Write application file and confirm to extract the zipped files.
- Double click the Read & Write app file, now indicated by a purple puzzle piece. A pop up box will appear asking that you accept the user terms and privacy policy. Select “Accept and Install.”
- The application should appear on the desktop of your PC. Open the app. When prompted to sign in, select “Show More,” then “Use Take Home Code.” Enter the code shown in the instructions on your CIDI account. Select “Continue.”
- You should now have full access to the program. As you need to open the program in the future, you should only have to sign in using your CIDI account credentials.
Your Accommodations Specialist will schedule an appointment to review the above instructions and ensure you are able to access Read & Write.
What if I need support?
Video tutorials are available to demonstrate the various features of Read & Write. Please see the following YouTube playlists:
If you already have Read & Write installed on your device, you will need to uninstall it before downloading Read & Write through CIDI:
- Navigate to the Settings panel on your PC (this will usually appear as a gear icon) and click it to open.
- Windows 11: Click the blue window icon in the taskbar located at the bottom of the desktop. Settings should be listed under all apps.
- Windows 10: Click the window icon located in the bottom left corner of the desktop. Settings should be listed under all apps.
- You can also type “Settings” in the search bar located in the task bar.
- Select “Apps” in the menu on the left
- Select “Installed apps”
- Scroll down the list of installed apps until you come to “Read&Write”
- Select the three dots to the right of the app name to reveal other options and select “uninstall.”
- A pop-up box may appear asking you to confirm you would like to uninstall the app and all its related information. Select confirm to uninstall.
- Once complete, the app should no longer appear in your list of installed apps.
