Read&Write

From IT Public Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search

Overview

Read&Write is an accessibility software program. Its functions fall into one of three categories; grammar/corrective, accessibility, and research. The grammar piece includes verb and grammar checking, spell checking, vocabulary assistance, dictionary (with thesaurus and synonym checker), picture dictionary and translation options. Accessibility functions include highlighting text to read, screen masking, speech input, PDF read aloud and web page read aloud options, screenshot reading capabilities and options to highlight text within a page. Research tools include a fact finder, fact mapper, voice notes, pronunciation tools, and word wizard tools.

This software is installed on 808 and 809 computers (accessibility testing computers) and on computers throughout the testing center. This software is mostly limited to testing computers for the time being.



Launching Read&Write for the First Time


When Read&Write launches for the first time, the setup wizard appears. For most students, the default settings are adequate. All of these settings can be adjusted later.
This is the Read&Write setup wizard's first page.
Read and write setup wizard first page

This is the second page of the wizard. Users can choose a different theme.
Read and Write 02 Setup Wizard Appearance.png

This picture shows that the user picked the Professional theme with large icons and text.
Read and Write 03 Appearance Professional.png

The next setup wizard page contains the different types of toolbars available for users. Users can select a toolbar that best fits their needs.
Read and Write 04 Setup Wizard Toolbar Selection.png

The next setup wizard page allows the user to select between basic word definitions, advanced word definitions, or searching the web for definitions.
Read and Write 05 Setup Wizard Dictionary.png

The next setup wizard page allows the user to select the type of speech that the computer will read to them.
Read and Write 06 Setup Wizard Speech.png

The final setup wizard page asks for the user's preferred fact finder page, such as Google.
Read and Write 07 Web Search.png

Basic Usage


Sizing Read&Write


Once Read&Write has been setup, it's default interface is a window bar. Note that the shown theme is the professional look with large icons and text.
Read and Write 08 Window Bar Interface.png

Alternatively, the user can drag the interface to the top of the screen, which fills the top of the screen with the Read&Write Interface.
Read and Write 09 Bar Fill Top.png

Using Read&Write to Read Text


One of the most most common usages of the Read&Write software is to convert written text to speech. To do so, simply highlight the written text. Then, click the play button. Read&Write will read out the words, as well as light up which word is being read.
Read and Write 10 Read and Write Text to Speech.png

Using the Dictionary Function

The user can highlight a word and then click the Dictionary button. This will bring up a window with the word's definition, such as the above example, which found the definition of the word speech.

Read and Write 11 Dictionary.png
Read and Write 12 Dictionary Button.PNG

Spell Check


The spell check feature of Read&Write is quite comprehensive. In addition to giving all of the potential replacements of a word, users can select whether the misspelled word needs to be a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb. In the below example, the user misspelled the word false as fasle. The user highlighted the text fasle and then clicked the spell check button of Read&Write, which is boxed out in red. After the button is clicked, the Spelling Helper window appears. The user then selects the word they want to change it to and then clicks the Change button.

Read and Write 13 Spell Check.png

Additional Help Documents


If the user needs help using the Read&Write software, the drop down menu contains the help link, as shown in the picture above. Once the users clicks the help link, then the Read&Write's help website is displayed. At the time of this writing, the help page is this link:
Read and Write 14 Help Link.PNG
Help Page