Assistive Technology
Cape Fear Community College has a wide variety of Assistive Technologies available to aid students with disabilities in their everyday activities. See Assistive technologies available to CFCC students below.
- GLEAN – Enables students to take their own notes effectively, and move away from peer-provided notes, Glean enables students to highlight the most important information, and then return to review and digest this information once the lecture is over, creating independence and self-advocacy, while improving learning outcomes.
- Equatio – Equatio is a software tool that allows users to create digital math equations and formulas easily, accessible through various input methods like typing, handwriting recognition, or voice dictation, primarily used by educators and students to incorporate complex mathematical expressions into digital documents like Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or learning management systems; it prioritizes accessibility for all users.
- Screenshot Reader – Screenshot Reader is a free Chrome extension. It is designed to provide OCR (Optical Character Recognition) functionality for users of Read & Write for Google Chrome. This extension enables users to capture and read text from screenshots, offering a convenient way to access and understand textual information.
With Screenshot Reader, users can take a screenshot of any text-based content, such as articles, documents, or web pages, and have the text extracted and read aloud. This feature is particularly useful for individuals with visual impairments or those who prefer to listen to text rather than read it. The extension uses advanced OCR technology to accurately recognize and convert text from images. - Dragon Naturally Speaking – transforms dictation into text. Students simply speak into a microphone and Dragon will transform their voice into written text. This software is great for students who have trouble getting their ideas down onto paper, or who struggle with typing or writing by hand.
- Read & Write Gold reads textbooks aloud. This software has a built-in dictionary and thesaurus and can assist students with writing assignments
- SmartPens – are designed to work and write like a premium ballpoint pen and a recorder. It saves handwritten notes associated with the recording. The student writes notes on specialized paper that tells the smartpen precisely what’s been written or drawn. Students can also upload the content to their computers to review later.
- FM and Infrared Transmitters – designed for students with hearing impairments, transmits the instructor’s spoken word from a microphone to headphones the student is wearing.
- Talking Calculator – A calculator with audio output.
Please contact a Student Accessibility Services staff member for additional information.