Resources For Faculty

SensusAccess (Links to an external site.) is a free online software that allows you to convert files into a PDF format. Users upload files to the system and it is then converted by the software and emailed back to the user. 

SensusAccess works best to create accessible PDFs when:

• You have created an accessible document (i.e Word, powerpoint files)
• You have an imaged PDF that you want to create a…

• 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.

Students approved through the Office of Disabilities Services (ODS) will provide professors with a Letter of Accommodation (LOA) indicating they require American Sign Language (ASL), CART captioning, an FM System or closed captioning for their lectures. Typically, you will receive an email from the ODS prior to this, asking for information to enable you to make appropriate arrangements for your course.

Getting started? Learn more about how to best accommodate students with ASL/CART Captioning accommodations via the following LOA…

Most often, we tend to create our own PDFs from Word or PowerPoint files. Below are a few things to consider regarding accessibility when creating your own PDF.

Whatever format you are starting with, you need to make that source file is accessible first. If you are starting with a Word or PowerPoint file, be sure you are using the accessibility checker to identify and correct any potential issues.

NOTE: Making your source file accessible, does not guarantee …

Now that we've created a structure to our document, the next step is to make sure that students can access the content with in that structure.

Image Description Guidelines (Links to an external site.)

• Do one of the following:

  • For a shape, picture, chart, SmartArt graphic, or other object, right-…

Our office provides both Kurzweil 3000 and Read&Write Gold as the recommended tool for interacting with the course content we offer you.

Comparison of Kurzweil and Read&Write

See our full…

What is Proctortrack?

How do I set up Proctortrack in my course?

What if the accommodation the student is requesting is not listed on the Letter of Accommodation submitted by the student? 

What other student accommodation needs are possible when using Proctortrack?

Read&Write is a literacy software with text-to-speech and other note-taking functions to ease students' reading of text files and articles online. There are many features within this software that can help students write  their papers and read texts such as reading out loud, text prediction,  dictionaries, highlighters, and spelling, grammar, and confusable word checks. 

Cindy Poore-Pariseau, Ph.D.
Director, Disability Services
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
Rutgers University
65 Bergen Street, Suite 1441
Newark, NJ 07107
Phone: 973.972.5396
Fax: 973.972.5320
E-mail: cindy.poorepariseau@rutgers.edu

Jenna Rose, MA
Assistant Director, Disability Services
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
Rutgers…

Students who are blind or visually impaired, in almost all cases, will use a specialized software known as a screen reader to access your content from their computer or mobile device. The most common screen readers include JAWS, VoiceOver, and NVDA.

Intro to Screen Readers Part 1:

Intro to Screen Readers Part 2

Screen readers are used by individuals who are blind or have low vision, to read and navigate their computer. Below are some common types of screen reading software:

NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA)

NVDA is a free, open-source Screen Reader, for…

The instructor needs to send the following information about the…

There are various forms of tactile graphics that our office has produced for students. Below are just a few examples:

For a student who was completely blind, we designed an accessible teaching and learning packet for both the student and professor. The course (Computer Organization) included a lot of visual diagrams which were drawn on the board during class. The professor had her notes pre-written, which she reused every semester. Our office spent the summer typing up her notes and creating swelled tactile…

There is a variety of Text to Speech tools that allow students who have a difficult time reading print text to listen to their textbooks, webpages, or pdf files with little to no training required. Many of these tools are now offered free and require no subscriptions to use. 

Below are some of our favorites:

Features:

• Text-to-Speech software that can be used for Microsoft Word, Webpages, PDFs, and Email
• Customize reading voice and speed…