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Libraries and Learning Skills

Library Wellbeing

Accessible equipment

We have a number of assistance items available at the university libraries which can be issued through your Learning Support Plan with authorisation from Student Wellbeing.

Please ask for the equipment at any Library help desk.
Software can be downloaded via AppsAnywhere - https://appsanywhere.lincoln.ac.uk/login

Writing

  • Read&Write - Read&Write is a literacy support tool that offers help with everyday tasks like reading text out loud, understanding unfamiliar words, researching assignments and proofing written work. This is available for students to download for free on AppsAnywhere
  • Arm supports 

Reading

  • Colour transparencies (for reading)
  • Bar magnifiers
  • Coloured paper (for printing)
  • Book stands
  • Magnifying glasses

If you need to print on coloured paper, a selection is available near the University Library ground floor printers. If you need a specific colour, and it isn’t there, please ask at the Library help desk or contact Library Wellbeing.

Audio

  • Headsets with wellbeing laptops
  • Headphones
  • Digital voice recorders
  • RNIB Bookshare accounts - RNIB Bookshare supports learners with a print disability to access the curriculum. They enable learners who cannot read standard print, including those with dyslexia or who are blind or partially sighted. If you are eligible for an RNIB account, the Library Wellbeing team shall contact you to offer to set you an account up.

Screen Readers

Screen readers are an assistive technology that can aid those with visual impairments or other issues reading digital text on screen. The screen reader reads aloud the text on screen, alleviating some of the difficulties you may experience when reading the text visually and alleviates visual stress. 

If you use Microsoft Edge then try using Read Aloud which can read your assignments in Word as well as webpages. 

The following guide recommends some of the most common free screen readers for different devices. We have also highlighted some of the issues you might experience when using a screen reader with our most popular e-book resources.

Screen Readers - Screen Readers and Accessibility - Guides at University of Lincoln

Dictation Software

Apple Dictation

After upgrading to macOS Catalina, follow these steps to turn on Voice Control:

  1. Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Accessibility.
  2. Click Voice Control in the sidebar. 
  3. Select Enable Voice Control. When you turn on Voice Control for the first time, your Mac completes a one-time download from Apple.

Dictate in Microsoft 365

Dictation lets you use speech-to-text to author content in Office with a microphone and reliable internet connection. Use your voice to quickly create documents, emails, notes, presentations, or even slide notes. 

Available for Word for Microsoft 365, Outlook for Microsoft 365, PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, Word for Microsoft 365, for Mac PowerPoint, for Microsoft 365, for Mac Word for the web, OneNote for the web, Word for iPhone and Word for Android phone. 

Google docs

  • Check that your microphone works.
  • Open a document in Google Docs with a Chrome browser.
  • Click Tools. 
  • When you're ready to speak, click the microphone.
  • Speak clearly, at a normal volume and pace (see below for more information on using punctuation): https://support.google.com/docs/answer/4492226?hl=en-GB

Voice-In

Voice-In is a free browser plug-in for Chrome for voice typing.

Changing the page colour in MS word

  • Open and rename MS Word document
  • Choose AutoSave 
  • Select Design from toolbar
  • Select Page Colour from top right-hand corner of screen 
  • Choose from the range of colours available
  • Then you can start writing your assignment in a new coloured background

Resizing fonts

Resizing text from the web browser

  • Chrome: Settings > Appearance > Font Size
  • Edge: View > Text size > Larger - Smaller
  • Safari: View > Make text bigger – Make text smaller

Alternatively, scroll with the wheel of your mouse whilst holding down the control key. This will Zoom the page in or out. 

Setting your computer to display larger fonts (PC)

By default, computers display fonts at the normal size of 100%. You can customise this setting by increasing the percentage from 125% to 500%.

Go to: Start > Settings > System > Display > Scale and Layout > Change the size of text, apps and other items

Using the zoom options (MAC OS X)

To enlarge screen data without changing the screen resolution you can use simple keyboard shortcuts to zoom in and out, select the following keys to operate this function: