Assistive Technology

Technology has transformed the daily experience of dyslexic individuals more dramatically than any other development in recent decades. Tools that were once expensive, cumbersome, or limited are now powerful, affordable, and seamlessly integrated into the smartphones, tablets, and computers that most people already own. For dyslexic readers at every age, assistive technology is not a crutch but a legitimate and effective accommodation — the equivalent of glasses for someone with impaired vision.

Text-to-Speech (TTS): Reading by Ear

Text-to-speech software converts written text into spoken audio, allowing dyslexic individuals to access written content at normal or accelerated speed — bypassing the decoding bottleneck without bypassing the content. Modern TTS tools use natural-sounding voices that make listening to text an efficient, pleasant experience.

Natural Reader: A versatile text-to-speech application available on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. It can read PDFs, Word documents, web pages, and e-books. Natural Reader is available in a free version with basic functionality and a paid version with more natural voices and features. It is widely used in schools and homes for everyday reading tasks.

Voice Dream Reader: Widely regarded as the best TTS app for mobile devices, Voice Dream Reader (iOS and Android) offers excellent voice quality, support for a wide range of document formats including PDFs, ePubs, and Google Drive files, and features like synchronized text highlighting, adjustable speed, and sleep timer. It is a paid app with a one-time purchase fee.

Speechify: A TTS app that has gained significant traction for its highly natural AI-generated voices and its ability to read virtually any content from the phone screen. It integrates with web browsers, document libraries, and email. Available in free and premium tiers. Particularly popular with college students and professionals.

Built-in accessibility features: Both iOS (VoiceOver, Speak Screen) and macOS/Windows (Narrator, built-in TTS) include text-to-speech capabilities that work with many applications without additional software. These are free and require no installation; they are a reasonable starting point for users new to TTS.

Speech-to-Text: Writing by Voice

For many dyslexic individuals, the difficulties with phonological processing that impair reading also impair spelling and written expression. Speech-to-text technology allows users to compose written documents by dictating them, bypassing the spelling and typing barrier.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking (Dragon Professional): The gold standard for professional-grade speech recognition. Dragon learns the user’s voice, vocabulary, and speaking patterns over time, achieving accuracy that approaches 99% with consistent use. It integrates with Microsoft Office, email clients, and most productivity software. Dragon is particularly valuable for professionals and college students who need to produce substantial quantities of written work. It requires investment both financially and in training time to set up.

Built-in dictation: Google Docs, Apple’s Dictation feature, and Microsoft Word’s Dictation function all offer voice input without additional software. These are less accurate and less customizable than Dragon but are free and immediately available on most devices.

Audiobooks: Reading Without Reading

Audiobooks allow dyslexic individuals to access literature, informational texts, and academic material auditorially, without any reading barrier at all. This is not a lesser form of engagement with content — listening comprehension in dyslexic individuals is typically intact, and many dyslexic readers absorb and retain information from audio at least as well as typical readers do from print.

Audible (Amazon): The largest commercial audiobook service, with access to the majority of bestselling books and a growing collection of academic and informational titles. Subscription-based with a monthly credit system, or individual purchase.

Learning Ally: Specifically designed for students with print disabilities (including dyslexia, blindness, and physical disabilities). Learning Ally provides access to thousands of human-narrated educational titles — textbooks, curriculum materials, and literature commonly assigned in schools. Membership requires documentation of a qualifying print disability. Particularly valuable for K–12 and college students who need textbooks in audio format.

Bookshare: The world’s largest accessible digital library, free for qualifying U.S. students and individuals with print disabilities. Bookshare provides digital text that can be rendered in audio, large print, or braille-ready formats, and it integrates with many TTS apps. The library includes over one million titles, including textbooks, novels, and reference works.

OverDrive / Libby: Many public libraries offer free audiobook borrowing through the OverDrive/Libby platform. This is the most accessible and cost-free option for recreational reading.

E-Readers and Digital Reading

E-readers (Kindle, Kobo) allow readers to adjust font size, line spacing, and contrast, which can reduce visual fatigue and improve tracking for some dyslexic readers. The Kindle app also integrates with Audible for Whispersync, allowing users to switch seamlessly between reading and listening to the same book.

Digital Note-Taking

For students, digital note-taking tools like Notability and OneNote allow audio recording synchronized with typed or handwritten notes. When studying, the student can tap a note and hear the audio from that moment in class. This reduces the pressure to write everything down and allows full attention to be paid to listening, with notes serving as anchors for audio review.

Based on “Overcoming Dyslexia” by Sally Shaywitz, M.D. (2020 edition)