Using Reading Machines in the Classroom for Visually Impaired Students

Much of the material presented to students in classrooms is often done so in a visual way. Teachers assign readings from a book, distribute handouts, or display the material on the board or overhead. For students with low vision or blindness, these methods of teaching exclude them from the learning taking place unless they are equipped with assistive technologies to help them. Reading machines are one form of assistive technology that help visually impaired students in the classroom and at home with reading and other printed material. The Low Vision Center and New Designs Unlimited, LLC are just two examples of online stores that specialize in selling assistive technologies for the visually impaired, and both sites offer a variety of reading machines based on the users needs. The initial software, scanning abilities, portability, and output (voice, pace, etc) may change slightly from model to model of reading machine, so it is important when shopping for a new reading machine to understand the features and differences between models.


New Designs Unlimited, LLC features a user-friendly and affordable SpeakEasy Reading Machine that comes standard with a magnification display, zoom ability, and a "natural" voice that reads the document at a pace that can be adjusted to fit the reader. This model of the SpeakEasy Reading Machine uses the scanner to read the document, display the text on the magnified screen, and read it aloud to the student. Students using the machine can use the control panel to move the curser, pause or change speed, store bits of text, or adjust the voice of the machine. This video demonstrates how the SpeakEasy Reading Machine functions when reading a poem, The Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost.

While having a reading machine in the classroom might be an adjustment for some teachers, it is an easy and useful tool available to help visually impaired students of all abilities and at all levels.