Kurzweil and Read & Write Comparison

 

 

If you are registered with the Office of Disability Services and looking to utilize this as an accommodation please be sure to speak with your campus’ ODS Coordinator.

Features List

FeatureKurzweil 3000Read&Write
Specialized Dyslexia FontYesNo
OCR FunctionsYesYes
Text to SpeechYesYes
Support for Visual Impairment MagnificationYesYes
Compatibility with other types of AT
such as braille display		YesYes
Active reading strategiesYesYes
Graphic OrganizersYesYes
Options for dictationYesYes
Integrated Content SharingYesNo
Integrated Math ToolsNoYes
Text SummarizationNoYes
Access to One Drive/ Cloud storageYesNo
Windows/Mac Laptop/Desktop supportYesYes
Android/IOS Mobile SupportYes (web version only)Yes

 

Notable Differences

FeatureKurzweil 3000TextHelpBoth
Writing
  • Better tools for organizing writing
  • Includes Templates for writing papers
  • Ability to do Mind Mapping
  • Write documents in Word/Google Docs
  • Allows you to format your documents and add footnotes
  • Word Prediction
  • Speech to Text
Reading
  • Opens in Kurzweil 3000
  • Everything is in the Universal Library
  • Remembers where you left off
  • Better Navigation of documents
  • Opens through TextHelps' PDFreader
  • Files are stored locally or via the cloud
  • Reads the Web
  • Built-in Dictionary
  • Standard read aloud
  • Highlighting options
  • Extracting highlights for notes
  • Take notes via audio, sticky notes, or overlaid text
Platform
  • Web-version includes limited features
  • No mobile app. Need to use their web version on mobile
  • Mobile Apps available
  • Browser plug-ins are available. (Need to install multiple plugs ins however for full options)
  • Desktop supported app on Windows/Mac

 

Summary

  • Both offer text-to-speech, speech-to-text, OCR, and access to the cloud.
  • Texthelp includes built-in math support, Kurzweil does not.
  • Both offer Windows and Mac support; however, Texthelp offers better web and mobile applications.
  • Kurzweil works better for reading Textbooks and PDFs while Texthelp is better at reading websites and EPUBs.
If you have questions or need support using this assistive technology, send us an email at radr.aft@echo.rutgers.edu or schedule an online support call..

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