Listening to resources on your device

This section of our Assistive Technology Guide explains how to use text-to-speech (TTS) tools to play back text on your device as spoken words. You may choose to listen to material on your devices for several reasons, including:

  • Having difficulty reading the screen or looking at the screen for extended periods
  • Multitasking and productivity
  • Increasing your comprehension of heavy text

Desktop

It is possible to listen to text on your computer from a Word document, a website, or a PDF file.

Office 365

  • (Built-in)
  • (Built-in)

Windows

  • (Built-in)

Mac

  • (Built-in)

Adobe Acrobat Reader DC

  • (Free download)

Natural Reader

  • (Subscription service with free option)
  • (Subscription service with free option)

Mobile

You can take a photo of the text you want to read aloud on your phone or ask Siri or Google Assistant to read your screen.

iPhone

  • (Built-in)

Android

  • (Built-in)
  • (Built-in)

Office 365

  • (iPhone, Android, free)

Using a screen reader

A screen reader uses text-to-speech to communicate the screen interface rather than only reading out text from a document. This is useful if you find yourself needing to navigate the interface of your computer in a non-visual way.

Desktop

  • (Windows, free)
  • (Mac, built-in)
  • (Windows, built-in)

Mobile

  • (iPhone, built-in)
  • (Android, built-in)

Web

  • (Chromebook, built-in)

Contact us

Help at AG飞禽走兽电子

You can contact us in the way that best suits you. For any question relating to Disability Support Services:

Phone: +64 9 921 9210

Email: disability.office@aut.ac.nz