Seven Accessibility Tools

Assistive technology is transforming the way we read, write, and engage with content. Whether you're a student, educator, or someone looking for accessibility support, there are many beneficial tools designed to make digital communication more inclusive. Let’s get into some examples of these incredible tools:

Google Docs - Voice Typing

Voice Typing in Google Docs is a hands-free writing tool that is perfect for anyone who finds typing challenging or simply wants to capture ideas quickly. This tool is very easy to use and is available right in a Google document. Just go to the “Tools” tab and select “Voice Typing.” A microphone will appear and users can just click on the icon when they are ready to use and click again to stop the voice typing.

Microsoft - Immersive Reader

Microsoft’s Immersive Reader is a built-in feature in Microsoft Edge and across many Microsoft 365 apps, designed to make reading easier for everyone. It offers adjustable text size, spacing, background colors, read-aloud features, and grammar tools. In the classroom, it’s a great resource for teachers to personalize support for students learning to read. Immersive Reader makes text more accessible, guided, and user-friendly for all kinds of learners.

Screen Readers

For individuals with visual impairments, screen readers are essential. These tools convert text on a screen into speech or Braille, allowing users to navigate websites, read documents, and interact with content independently. Some of the most widely used screen readers include JAWS, Dolphin ScreenReader, Microsoft Narrator, and NVDA for Windows. There are also tools like Orca, TalkBack (Android), and ZoomText for other platforms and needs. Screen readers help make sure everyone has equal access to digital spaces.

C-Pen Reader

The C-Pen Reader is a tool that helps to improve reading skills, aid comprehension, and promote independence for individuals with difficulty reading or who may be learning a new language. The C-Pen Reader is an easy, pocket-sized tool that scans words and reads them aloud, using text-to-speech technology. 

Google Slides - Speaker Notes and Live Captions

Google Slides presents a tool for speaker notes and caption features to help individuals expand their presentations while also benefiting others who are viewing the presentation. The speaker notes section helps presenters stay on track, while the live captions feature displays spoken words in real-time on the screen. This can be a game changer for those with hearing impairments, language learners, or anyone sitting in the back of the room. Speaker notes and live captions is all about making presentations more accessible and engaging.

Microsoft Windows - Color Filters

Although color filters are often associated with photography, they have another important role with accessibility. For individuals who are color-blind or have difficulty focusing on on-screen text, changing color contrast or applying filters can dramatically imp
rove one’s ability to read. Adjusting these settings can make text pop, reduce eye strain, and help maintain concentration. It’s a small tweak that can make a big impact.

Google Meet - Transcripts

Transcripts in Google Meet allows participants to review and edit meeting dialogue in written form. This is beneficial for referencing key points, creating meeting minutes, and keeping everyone on the same page. Transcripts also helps people of another language to receive the meeting dialogue in the language they know best. For example, the meeting transcripts are available in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. 

 

 Seven Accessibility Tools in Microsoft 

Built in Dictation Functionality

This tool found in Microsoft allows for students to use speech to text to verbalize their ideas when writing. This can be helpful for students who have a hard time spelling or typing! This can be useful for elementary ed and secondary ed!

Magnify Reader 

This tool can be used to help zoom in on text and make it bigger. It can be useful to students who have disabilities regarding their vision. This tool also allows for the user to drag their cursor over words and the computer will read the text to the user. This can be useful for students who are still working on their foundational reading skills!

Color Filters 

This tool is available for students who may be color blind. They can change the setting to help assist them in distinguishing between visuals. The options are as follow: Inverted, gray scale, grayscale inverted, red-green (red weak, red-green (green weak), and blue-yellow. There are many different options for students pending on which lights their eyes can process and those they can not. 

Text Scaling

This tool can make text appear bigger or smaller depending on the user's needs. This does not distort the visual layout and may be useful for those who struggle reading smaller text or for those who need the text to be smaller! Whatever it may be Microsoft can make it happen!

Mouse Pointer

Microsoft offers a tool that allows for the mouse cursor to appear, larger smaller, inverted or a different color depending on the user's needs. This can make it easier for the user to follow along during instruction and navigation!

Narrator

It is a tool that is a screen reader. It can read and describe what is being seen on the screen aloud. This app supports more than 50 different languages and can be used for those who are learning in a different language and students who have vision differences. 

Immersive Reader

This tool allows for detraction free reading experience. Students can adjust the text to make it easier to see as well as having text read aloud to them. This supports students who are learning parts of speech and can translate words for students who have learning disabilities or language differences. 

Seven Helpful Accessibility Tools

Accessibility tools are total amazing for students who need a little extra support whether that’s with reading, writing, communicating, or just navigating technology. After exploring some helpful resources, I have found seven tools that really stand out compared to the others.

Read&Write

This is a powerful tool for supporting students with learning differences like dyslexia or ADHD. It works as a toolbar and offers features like text-to-speech, word prediction, and a dictionary. What makes it so effective is how it helps students engage with text in ways that suit their individual needs, so no matter who uses it there is something that can be gained.

Voice Typing

Voice Typing allows the words that you speak to be automatically written down on the page. It is perfect for students who have difficulty typing or expressing themselves through writing. Instead of worrying about spelling or punctuation, they can focus on getting their thoughts out onto the page. It’s also great for when students are doing brainstorming activities so time can be saved by avoiding the need for writing everything down manually.

Microsoft Immersive Reader

Microsoft Immersive Reader creates a space free of distractions for reading and lets students customize the experience. They can change the background color, adjust text size, break text into syllables, or even have it read aloud. This tool is especially helpful for students who struggle with paying attention when reading. 

Snap&Read

This might be one of the most versatile tools out there. It can read any text on a webpage aloud, translate it into different languages, simplify it, or even help create an outline of the content. It’s a lifesaver for students who are overwhelmed by heavy reading assignments or for those who benefit from simpler language and visual supports. 

ChromeVox

ChromeVox is great for students who are blind or visually impaired. It is a screen reader that reads everything on the screen aloud, making it easier to navigate documents, web pages, and assignments without relying on sight. It gives students the independence to use their device fully and participate in class just like everyone else. 

Beeline Reader

Beeline Reader changes the color of text across lines to guide the reader’s eyes more smoothly. This color gradient helps students stay focused and improves reading speed, especially for those with attention or tracking issues. 

Ava

Ava is a live captioning app that provides captions during conversations. This is especially helpful for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Whether it’s an in person class discussion or an online lecture, Ava transcribes speech instantly so students can follow along and participate with the rest of the class. 

These tools all help education become more accessible. Everyone learns differently, and with the right support, every student can feel empowered to succeed.

Bridging the Language Gap with Microsoft Translator

    In the diverse learning environments of today, effective communication between educators, students, and families is more important than ever. Many students come from multilingual backgrounds, and language barriers can create challenges in learning, engagement, and family involvement. As educators, we need to ensure that every student and their family feels heard, understood, and supported regardless of what language they speak.

Why Language Accessibility Matters

     With the multicultural nature of schools and with students and families speaking a wide range of languages, many schools are struggling. This struggle with providing translation services is due to a lack of resources with hiring language interpreters for each language being very costly. I have found that there is another way to help break the language barrier through the use of technology, in this case using Microsoft Translator.

How Microsoft Translator can Help

     Microsoft Translator is a powerful tool that allows educators, students, and families to communicate in multiple languages in real time. Whether through text translation, live captions, or speech to text conversations, this tool makes multilingual communication seamless. Using Microsoft Translator educators can effectively translate in real time during parent teacher meetings which ensures that every family has access to important information. Teachers can also use Translator to translate instructions and lessons to make sure that non English learners don't fall behind.

Using Microsoft Translator

The best part about Microsoft Translator is its ease of use. Teachers, students, and parents can access it through a mobile app or integrate it with platforms like OneNote and Word for written translations. It’s a simple yet powerful way to ensure that no one feels left out due to language differences. If you’re an educator looking for ways to improve communication in your school, Microsoft Translator is a tool worth exploring.

 

The Global Educator Toolkit

The Tools of the Trade

    As an educator it is important to have a wide variety of tools at your disposal to be used for your classroom learning environment. Some of these tools may cover a wide range of needs while others are highly specialized for certain situations. Keeping these tools handy can help both yourself as an educator as well as the students in your classroom.

What Tool is Best?

    Out of all the tools in the Global Educator's Toolbox the one I found to be the most useful is Learning for Justice. I chose this tool because it aligns with my goal for my classroom to create a welcoming environment that is inclusive to all of my students. This tool offers research strategies to address issues such as racism, bias, and social justice. Each of these issues being addressed are critical to understand in today's educational environment. With this information educators can be equipped to help students develop the skills necessary for navigating a diverse world.

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What I Found Useful in this Tool

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    One of the most beneficial aspects of Learning for Justice is its wide variety of available lesson plans that are categorized by grade level and topic. These lessons provide content that can be adapted to suit different classroom settings. Learning for Justice also offers professional development resources that help teachers become more culturally educated educators by including action guides and toolkits to help with discussions on equity and justice. The student texts and perspectives portions featured highlight diverse voices and experiences, ensuring that students engage with materials that reflect a wide range of backgrounds. The site also includes unique content such as film kits and teaching strategies that encourage critical thinking and active engagement with social justice topics. All of these aspects combine to make a highly effective tool for an educator looking to improve the quality of their learning environment.

How I Would Use Learning for Justice in My Classroom

    There are several ways that I would use this resource to improve my classroom. Since so many lesson plans are provided by Learning for Justice I would look through each one and decide which ones to incorporate into the curriculum. Doing this would help include ideas such as diversity, identity, and equity into my classroom. In addition to the lesson plans provided I would also include some of the student texts on the website to help introduce more diverse voices into my classroom. The inclusion of all of these diverse and sometimes complicated ideas can help facilitate respectful discussions of these heavy topics in a safe environment.

 

Flexible Seating in the Classroom

Hello Reader, 

As I approach the end of my time in college and my studies in education I have learned the importance that inclusivity plays in the classroom. I read a page from the edtech book, Inclusive Learning 365, and stumbled upon page 12 strategy 12 titled, “Providing Learning Spaces with Flexible and Kinesthetic Seating Surfaces.” From first hand experience I can vogue the importance of flexible seating for learners as well as providing kinesthetic seating surfaces. In the education world we are so past the idea that every student needs to sit at a desk. I have seen students sit in bean bags, on cushions and even on yoga balls. 

As educators all we want is our students' success and this is one way to support that. It is important to know your students and their needs so that they can have the best possible outcomes even if that means allowing a student to complete a task on the floor. On page 12 it was stated that “learners who are practicing to regulate attention may find they can maintain focus longer while their body is involved in spontaneous motor movements,” (Bugaj, 2021). Some students crave constant stimulation through movement and it is important to give those students the opportunity to do so. This can be through the type of seating a child is given like a swivel or even a yoga ball to bounce in. 

As we progress as educators we have learned many different strategies and different necessities students need. Learning isn’t one size fits all and in this modern day we have recognized that. Just like there are visual and auditory learners there are learners who thrive off movement. Allowing for changes in the classroom such as specialty seating and beyond can help set students up to reach their full potential, but the students can’t get there on their own. It is up to you as an educator to make those adjustments for your students. Recognize their strengths within the classroom and implement tools such as kinesthetic flexible seating to help meet their needs, and help students thrive. 

Inclusive Education Strategies

Inclusive Practices in the Classroom

Inclusivity in the classroom is not strictly for students with special needs, in fact, many students without special needs may need minor accommodations in the classroom. Although the adjustment may be minor, the outcome can greatly change the learning capacity of a student. For those without a IEP or 504 plan, being given accommodations in the classroom may never be conceived, however that does not mean that accommodations will not aid learning. It may not be obvious, but using auto-captions in the classroom could subconsciously allow students to feel welcome because, although its a small detail, auto-captions allow for students to read on top of what they are listening to. 

In the United States, 5.3%, or 10.6 million students, were ESL(English as a Second Language). That equates to about 1 in every 20 students whose first language is not English. This can pose some problems, as those students pose susceptible to falling behind if they are struggling with English. Utilizing auto-captions can assist these students in both their normal everyday studies, but also in their English learning, as it is more exposure to the language and enhances its usage. Furthermore, captions can be shown in their native tongue, allowing students to combine what they read with what they hear, which over time can bolster their English understanding. Some students may have hearing issues as well, albeit not nearly as many as there are students who have ESL, however they still exist and deserve to be able to learn as fairly as all other students. For those minority of students with hearing loss or any other ailment that affects hearing, auto-captions can allow them to not feel ostracized by their struggles merely hearing their teachers and friends. 

The idea that only special needs students may need certain accommodations is nonsense. Students of many different walks and reasons may need some assistance in the classroom to boost understanding, audibility, or even focus. Educators may not know of the struggle a student may have regarding hearing, language, or even focus, so auto-captions can, and perhaps should, be incorporated into the classroom to not only as a preemptive attempt to combat hearing issues or language struggles, but just as a courtesy for all students who may not bring to light their struggles hearing or understanding. By doing so, educators can ensure that their classroom is inclusive in ways that are probably usually overlooked, and ensure that every student they may teach has just as equal an opportunity to be given and retain knowledge as the rest. 

(Inclusive Learning 365, pg 42)

The Mindset of Inclusive Learning

 Dear Readers,

    We find ourselves thinking about the classroom setting and what it has to offer to a diverse set of students. Technology being an advancement in many classrooms, with oftentimes take us to more creative routes in inclusivity within the classroom. However, finding that mindset is what really drives an educator to push for new strategies. Before engaging with new strategies, there are first prerequisites that need to be met, which will allow for a better processed mind. (Inclusive Learning 365, pg. 15).

Building Culture

    The first step would be to build a culture in the classroom that feels inclusive. It's known as authentic inclusion, drawing out diversity while engaging students in a positive environment. Not only this, but there are goals and strategies that can be worked up to lean towards the authentic inclusion. Examples of
these would be classrooms that allow both disable and non-disabled learners to be in the same classroom together. The shift in spaces to add more of more than one type of student would certainly get students to engage differently, as they would want to help their fellow peers or even learn from them. Just because students are in the same classroom, however, that does not mean they will all continue to be/feel included. 

    We take space and environment into account, but that may not always be the answer for an inclusive classroom. "True inclusion happens when we design educational experiences with everyone in mind." (Inclusive Learning 365, pg. 16). Being inclusive means to design a learning experience that is able to be followed by every student in the classroom. It's sort of like the phrase "nobody left behind," as teachers are trying to figure out exactly what they can do to enhance every student's desired learning goals. 

Inclusive Learning Strategies

 Dear Reader,

    In the modern classroom you will always find a diverse group of students waiting to learn. Every one of these students has individual needs to help them learn best and feel welcomed in the classroom environment. If the needs of a student are not met they will not be able to properly learn and could fall behind other students in the classroom.

An Educator's Role in the Classroom,

    It is the responsibility of an educator to ensure that every student feels welcomed in the classroom and has the resources available that are most conducive to helping a student learn. While it may seem difficult and time consuming to attempt to create an environment that includes every student without leaving anyone feeling left out it is the first step an educator can take to creating an effective learning environment. By creating an inclusive environment in the classroom you will feel a great sense of accomplishment as an educator and will save you many future headaches and will help you build connections with your students.

      While it may seem overwhelming to try and come up with and find strategies that will work for your classroom there are many helpful resources available to help make this process as smooth as possible. One of these helpful resources is Inclusive Learning 365: Edtech Strategies for Every Day of the Year. This resource includes hundreds of learning strategies that you can implement into your learning environment. With how many learning strategies are included in this one resource it is possible to change up the classroom everyday if you would like to ensure that every student can find a method of learning that they work with the best.

Strategies to use for an Inclusive Environment,

     With how many learning strategies are available to use there are bound to be some that are more effective than others and include the most students. One of these strategies is including alt text whenever you use images. By using alt text, auditory learners can listen to the alt text to find out what is happening in an image. Also by utilizing alt text it forces the person inserting an image to think about why the image needs to be there and describe its most important aspects (Inclusive Learning 365 pg. 36). Another one of the more effective strategies to be found is using natural and soft light in the classroom as much as possible. The overhead lights commonly found in classrooms can be overstimulating for many students and by providing natural light students can work without distractions (Inclusive Learning 365 pg. 8). There are many more strategies just like these to use in the classroom, so I highly recommend taking a look for yourself to see what you can implement in your own learning environment.