Claro Read. Mada Assistive Technology Center. Tel: Fax: Pen

Transcription

1 Claro Read Mada Assistive Technology Center Tel: Fax: Pen

2 Claro Read Claro read is a multi sensory software solution for supporting users who struggle with reading and writing. It can speak onscreen text out loud and with Claroread plus and pro, scanned books and documents can also be read out loud. A wide range of visual tools are included to colour, highlight and focus on text as it is spoken by the computer. Languages A range of additional voices are available in over 20 languages including Arabic. Who would benefit from using Claroread? Claro read benefit s individuals who struggle with reading or writing. It is useful for users of any age and level of ability. It is beneficial for people with Dyslexia, and with some type of vision impairments. It is also useful for foreign language students. How can ClaroRead Help with Reading? Claro read can be used to support reading. It will read back any text that you select using your mouse. You can select text from a Word document or from the Internet and . It has ways of making text on the screen clearer and more visible as a range of visual tools are included to colour, highlight and focus on text as it is spoken, this makes it easier to read and the additional audio output makes comprehension easier. To have text read back to you just select the text with your mouse and then click play to hear it. You click the stop button to halt ClaroRead speaking; you can also press the control key or F8 to stop Claro reading. 2

3 You can convert text you select into an audio file or a video file. Click the save button in Microsoft Word and the current document will be saved, or select text and copy it to the clipboard for any other source of text. You can change the font size and colour easily, ClaroRead has options to change colour of text and background colour. You can change character, line and paragraph spacing in MS Word and Internet Explorer pressing the spacing button on tool bar. This can also make reading easier for some people. How can ClaroRead help with writing? ClaroRead helps with writing in many ways. As you type characters, words or sentences they can be read back to you. This allows the user to spot errors that may have otherwise been missed. Homophones are words that sound similar but are spelled differently such as Weather/whether, their/there/they re, access/excess. The program will highlight any potential homophones and offer possible alternatives, with explanations. Claro has a single check button which will check text for spelling offer meanings, dictionary definitions and alternatives. It is also useful that Claro has a speaking dictionary that gives you a spoken definition for any word. Claro has a Word prediction feature which will predict, or guess what you are about to type and complete the word or phrase for you. Words and phrases that you regularly use can be added to the program. Word prediction needs to be turned on in the settings tab on the ClaroRead toolbar. Training Requirements This product is very intuitive and minimum training is required (less than 3 training sessions) in order to use the basic functions. However in order to gain maximum benefit from the software more intensive training would be required. A user guide is available at Video Tutorials are also available at 3

4 System Requirements Windows 7 SP1, XP SP3, Vista SP2 1GB RAM 1.25 hard disk space DVD drive Microsoft Word 2003 or later Sound Card Scanner supporting TWAIN or WIA MB for each Voice Additional voices available at Summary ClaroRead is a useful tool for those with reading and writing difficulties. The toolbar is not cluttered and does not require extensive training in order to be able to use the basics. It is one example of software that can support people with reading and writing difficulties. There are a range of options available, and finding the right solution for a person with a disability requires a thorough analysis of the person s needs and a careful matching of the appropriate software features to meet these needs. For those interested in finding out more about solutions for writing difficulties that best meets their needs the Advice and Assessment team at the Mada Center will be happy to meet and discuss all available options. For further information contact the MADA Qatar Assistive Technology Center, 7 th Floor, Al Nasr Tower B, Al Corniche Road, West Bay, Doha, Qatar. P.O. Box Ph: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.We request attribution to Mada and all other authors of original materials is retained 4

5 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. We request attribution to Mada and all other authors of original materials is retained