New accessibility software available for students, faculty and staff – The Sunflower

Wichita State has implemented new accessibility software that can be accessed using WSU credentials at the start of the fall 2024 semester.

The Office of Student Housing and Testing (OSAT) recently obtained a site license for Kurzweil 3000 with funding provided by the Student Government Association. After individual testing the previous summer, it is now available to all students, staff and faculty at WSU.

Kurzweil 3000 is an assistive technology program that can be accessed using the WSU login credentials. The software can be run on Windows and Mac, and in the Chrome, Firefox, and Outlook web browsers.

The software was tested with individual students over the summer and widely implemented

Missy Tatum, a former occupational therapist in the K-12 system who has worked closely with Kurzweil 3000, participated in a Zoom presentation with OSAT director Isabel Medina Keiser and access coach Joshua Roeder on Sept. 23 to explain the software to students, faculty and staff.

“We all have different learning styles, and Kurzweil works with that … so it works for everyone,” Tatum said.

Students can open any online textbook PDF in the program to make it more accessible. The font can be changed, including options such as OpenDyslexic and OpenDyslexicMono. Students can also change the background and highlight colors to help with eye strain and play text-to-speech at slower and faster speeds.

“I know some students like to listen at twice the speed,” Roeder said. “People who have learned it have raved about it. How helpful it has been.”

It also includes several built-in dictionaries, including a photo and children’s dictionary, as well as a thesaurus and translations for over 70 languages.

Students can open documents to work within the program, with the option to use built-in template outlines to write papers and use graphic organizers for brainstorming and notes for reminders. Quizzes can be taken within the program, and certain features can be locked to prevent cheating.

“I asked one of the students to come up and tell me what she thought of the program,” Keiser said. “And she came in and started crying. She said, ‘I’m going to go to grad school now.'” Students who are curious about how to use the software can attend the second Zoom presentation on Friday, September 27 at 09:00 or OSAT To learn more.