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Accessibility in Educational Technologies

Accessibility features in educational technologies help to ensure that all students, regardless of physical, sensory, or cognitive abilities, can equitably participate, understand, navigate, and interact with digital learning tools and content.

Accessibility in education ensures that all students have equal and equitable opportunities to learn, participate, and succeed in physical and digital learning environments. Accessibility and assistive features in educational technologies help to remove barriers to learning by helping to provide inclusive spaces where diverse needs are accommodated. Accessibility promotes equity, supports diverse learning preferences, and helps create a more inclusive community by empowering every learner to reach their full potential. Some key features of assistive technologies include customization and personalization for individual needs, as well as accessibility across devices and platforms.

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  • For details about how to access any of the tools and workspaces below, please navigate to the corresponding Educational Technology Tools page. 

Questions?

Accessibility in Google Workspace

Additional Resources

Accessibility with Microsoft Immersive Reader

Immersive Reader is a free, built‑in accessibility tool that transforms text into a customizable, distraction‑free reading experience, embedded directly inside Microsoft products. 

  • Core Accessibility Features of Immersive Reader
    • Text-to-Speech (Read Aloud): reads text aloud with natural voices while highlighting words synchronously, with adjustable speed and voice options. 
    • Visual Customization: customizable font, text size, spacing, and background colours to help reduce visual crowding. 
    • Line Focus: choose to display 1, 3, or 5 lines at a time, acting similarly to a digital ruler to support attention and tracking.
    • Word-level Supports: optionally break words into syllables, highlight parts of speech (ex., nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs), and a dictionary for unfamiliar words. 
    • Translation and Language Support: translate text into various languages (options vary by app) with many languages included with the read-aloud voices. 
  • Key Considerations for Instructors to help students leverage Immersive Reader benefits
    • provide digital text when possible and avoid PDFs without readable text layers (ex., photocopies or pictures)
    • design resources that are compatible with assistive technologies. Use strategies such as hierarchy and headings, alt text, and avoiding tables unless necessary for data. 
  • Microsoft Tools with Immersive Reader Built-in

Resources

Accessibility in Kaltura

Accessibility Features for Operating Systems and Browsers

Assistive Technology Resources

Note that any questions about Assistive Technologies should be directed to Student Accessibility Services. SAS provides academic accommodations to Ontario Tech University students with disabilities or medical conditions who register with them. To access the files below, make sure you are logged in with your OntarioTechU.net Gmail account.

For more information and resources about Assistive Technologies, contact Student Accessibility Services or explore the Assistive Technology webpage in the Accessibility Hub. 

Enhancing Digital Accessibility

  • Explore the Accessibility Hub to find helpful information about how Ontario Tech community members are working to advance the ongoing development of an environment that is accessible and inclusive, while actively working to identify, remove and prevent barriers to persons with disabilities. Including: 
    • Level Access
    • Resources and Tools
    • Accessibility Working Group, and more.
  • Ontario Tech University Guide to Accessible Documents: creating accessible documents and communications, Universal Design for Learning, Accessible Library Services, and more.