Using Assistive Technology

The following links are resources to assist you in utilizing the resources you may already have or will consider obtaining during your academic journey with Genesee Community College. We do not specifically endorse any product or website; please use these as informational to assist you in making decisions about which products might be most useful to you.

Tips from Microsoft on Making Documents Accessible

• Overview (covers a variety of topics related to physical, mental & health related challenges and how Microsoft products can be helpful)
• For Microsoft Word
• For Microsoft Excel
• For Microsoft PowerPoint
• For Outlook

Assistive Technology

• Using Microsoft Word as a reading tool
• Setting up Speech to Text in Windows 10
• Setting up Speech to Text in Word
• Using Speech to Text on Your Mac
• PDF converter Genius Scan is a free app (there is also a paid version) that allows you to take a picture of anything and it will be stored as a PDF. You can email the PDF to yourself or anyone else via the mail function of the application.
• EchoPen supports many functions to assist learners in maximizing their capturing of classroom materials.
• Ginger is a tool to assist you in spelling, grammar, style and even assists when English is not your first language. While there is a free version, there is also a premium version which offers all of the features for a low student price.
• Ghotit is a program/app to assist users with dyslexia. There is a one time or monthly fee to use the product.
• Dragon Naturally Speaking is a dictation product that can be used to dictate papers, projects and notes. There are many different versions of dragon available. If you purchase dragon for yourself, it also comes with a free app for your smartphone to allow you to record lectures (if your professor allows) or to allow dictating a paper while moving (exercising, walking or standing) without being tied to your computer.
• EverNote App can be used with your smart phone. Take notes, organize, make notes within your notes and more. There are free and paid versions; naturally the paid versions come with more features.
• Griffin iTalk Recorder is an application that you can purchase for your phone to assist in recording lectures. There is a free and paid version.
• EquatIO makes math digital. It works with typing as well as your microphone to dictate formulas. There are free and paid versions of the application. It works best with google chrome.
• Screencast-o-matic can make a video, video presentation or create spoken links for presentations or to “hand in” to your professor. This can be used with or without video, depending on the need for your courses. There are free and paid versions.
• Microsoft One Note is an application for note taking, OneNote provides users with an elaborate note taking experience. You can take notes on it, share your notes with others for viewing and/or editing. Your words and pictures are searchable in OneNote. There are free and paid versions.
• Many textbooks are available in digital format. Check GCC’s Bookstore for more information. In addition, depending on what technology you already own or might have access to, you can purchase many of your textbooks in your kindle, amazon fire, google play books, audiobooks, nook, iTunes U and/or iBook. Many of the textbooks can be read to you and you can utilize increased font size for visual assistance.
• Mac users, learn How to use iPads to maximize your learning through textbooks.