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You are here: CSU, Chico | IT Support Services | Computer Labs | Assistive Technology Center

Assistive Technology Center

The Assistive Technology Center (ATC) on the first floor of Meriam Library (adjacent to the main computer lab) is a joint project between Accessibility Resource Center and IT Support Services. Use of the equipment is open to students registered with ARC.

Available Software in the ATC

The ATC provides the following accessibility software:

  • Speech recognition
  • Screen reader
  • Screen magnification
  • Text to speech
  • LD assistive reading software

A brief description of each software and links to software manufacturers are provided below.

Speech Recognition Software

Speech recognition software attempts to "humanize" the interface between people and machines by expanding the use of speech. The speech capabilities of this software include continuous and discrete dictation systems, voice command systems, and text-to-speech systems. The ATC has the following software installed on several computers:

Screen Reader Software

Screen reader software reads aloud the contents of the computer screen, including text on drop-down menus, dialog boxes, help files, e-mail, web pages, or any text documents.

Screen Magnification Software

Screen magnifiers magnify the display of word processors, spreadsheets, databases, and online services on the computer. The IT Support Services labs have built-in screen magnification capability in the operating system software installed on the PCs in all the open access labs as well as in the ATC. In addition, the following software program is available on the ATC workstations:

    LD Assistive Reading Software

    Kurzweil 3000 is software that helps people with reading or learning difficulties increase their reading speed and comprehension. Kurzweil 3000 can read virtually any scanned document or other electronic file on your computer or the Internet, using a high quality synthetic speech. Plus, with Kurzweil 3000, words are highlighted in a contrasting color to the reading unit making tracking easier.