Scan and read devices include hardware, software, and mobile app options. They turn text into audio output. These tools are often used by people with low vision, and can also be helpful for people with learning disabilities.
What kinds of scan and read devices are there?
Desktop Scanners
These devices may include their own talking software or connect to your computer to provide the reading aloud. Examples include the ClearReader from Optelec and the Pearl document camera from Freedom Scientific. Pearl uses OpenBook Software.
Both desktop scanners and mobile apps can be set to recognize columns and provide continuous “batch” scanning of multiple pages. Once the last page is scanned the device can begin reading the text aloud. In some devices saving can be performed on the device or sent to a storage device.
Handheld Scanners
Some handheld electronic magnifiers, such as the Optelec Compact Speech models, will let you listen to as well as view your text.
For handheld scanning without a magnification screen, consider the OrCam Read. Pen devices like the C-Pen Reader or ScanMarker can also read text aloud, but need to be directed line-by-line.
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