Please let us know if you run into problems with a specific Accessibility website/tool.

When creating material (coursebooks, powerpoint-presentations, videos, PDFs, etc) you can make use of tips to enhance the accessibility of documents.

Tools transforming text to speech

Text-to-speech tools, often called screen readers, convert the text on a computer screen into audio. This is like having the computer read the page to you, and it is a great option for students who struggle with reading or are learning a new language.

Built-in tools:

  • Activate Immersive reader in Canvas (in your personal settings after login to Canvas)
  • Read aloud PDFs (built in Acrobat Reader)
  • Immersive reader in Microsoft 365 (the online version of MS Office)
  • Speak tool in the regular installed version of Microsoft Word (only Office 2019 and 2021, and Microsoft 365).

Additional tools you can download:

If you have been using the TextAid ReadSpeaker tool or other accessibility tools, we kindly ask you to fill in the survey to share your experiences and needs.

Text-to-speech for your digital exam:

If you want to use text-to-speech software during digital exams, please contact Disability Support. If you already have permission to use the read-aloud software for your digital exams, go to the digital exams FAQ page for more information on how to use it.

Tools converting speech to text

These programs capture spoken words and convert them into typed text. Many of these options even add punctuation and paragraph breaks through verbal signals. Speech-to-text tools are especially beneficial to students who lack either writing or typing skills. Many phone and tablet applications have speech-to-text features built into their keyboard options. These are often convenient and free.

Other options (free available on the internet):

  • TalkTyper: Use this website to convert your speech to text. Then, copy and paste your text into any application of your choice. TalkTyper includes a translation feature, as well.
  • Dictation: This website will type dictations in multiple languages.
  • Google Docs Voice Typing: This feature is integrated into Google Docs (and can be found under the “Tools” menu). To use this, activate voice typing, click the microphone, and begin speaking.
  • Voice In Voice Typing: This Chrome extension allows you to voice type into other Google products as well as many text fields on websites.
Closed captioning of video or videoconferencing

Closed captioning is text that appears on the bottom of a video screen. It provides a transcript of anything that is spoken as well as other sounds that can be heard in a video. Students with hearing loss rely on closed captioning to “hear” the audio portion of a video.

Adding subtitles and text overlays to videos

For official videos it is already obligatory, but also for your educational video, it makes sense to add subtitles to your video.

Using captioning and transcription in Microsoft Teams

There are two ways to make a Teams lecture or meeting more accessible for participants who are deaf or hard-of-hearing:

1. Live captions 

Everyone who joins a Teams meeting can turn on live captions during the meeting. This is only visible to the user who turns on live captions.

  • Click More.
  • Click Language and Speech.
  • Click Show live captions.

Microsoft guide: How to use live captions in Microsoft Teams.

2. Live transcription (available in Dutch and English)

A meeting organiser can turn on live transcription. Users will see a real-time written copy of the meeting. Afterwards, the transcription can be found with the meeting recording.

Microsoft guide: Admins – Manage transcriptions and captions for Teams meetings.

Accessibility checkers

You can use an accessibility checker, for instance in Microsoft Word (fill in ‘accessibility checker’ in the menu field ‘Tell me what you want to do…’) or Adobe Acrobat accessibility checker (PDF), to give insight about your documents.