Disability Services

Android Reading Apps

Because Android is a fragmented platform some of the apps below may not work on specific devices. The Amazon Kindle Fire player is a modified version of Android. So it may not offer some of the following apps because users are restricted by the version of the operating system and in which app stores they have access to. For all apps that are listed there are links provided for which app store it can be obtained from. The two app stores we will reference are the Google Play Store and the Amazon App Store for Android. The Google Nexus, Google Play edition, and Google Pixel devices will always give the best results because they run a stock version of android.

Android does not have great built-in tools for reading text for people with learning disabilities. To get a clipboard reader you will need to download third party apps like @Voice Aloud Reader or EZ Text to Speech Pro. Android does however have a larger list of lower cost reading apps for ebooks than iOS.

TalkBack

TalkBack is the screen reader for Android. It changes all gestures that are used to interact with your device. This is because it is intended for blind and visually impaired users. TalkBack would not be efficient for most people with print disabilities to use to assist in reading.

To turn on TalkBack

There are two ways to turn on Talkback. The first is to hold two fingers in the middle of the screen during device startup. It will ask if you want to start TalkBack and then give you the option to go through a tutorial to learn the new gestures. The second way to turn it on is to go into Settings on your Android. Open Accessibility and tap on TalkBack. Under the TalkBack options is located an On button to activate the app.

Easy Text to Speech Pro

This app is a clipboard reader for Android. Any text that is highlighted and saved to the clipboard is read with the selected Google Text-to-Speech compatible engine voices. It is similar to the iOS Speak Selection tool but does not have the pause option.

For a quick demo for Easy Text to Speech Pro
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40JNtcgDeYQ

You can purchase EZ Text to Speech Pro for $4.00at
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.easysolutions.easytexttospeechpro

@Voice Aloud Reader

@Voice Aloud Reader is a decent reading app that has both the features for a clipboard reader and for a document reader for PDF and Word docs. You can also cut and paste any text you want to have read out loud. The program will open and extract the text from documents like PDF files before displaying them in the document view. You can also open files with @Voice Aloud that appear in your Dropbox app.

Google Play Store - Free
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hyperionics.avar&hl=en
Amazon App Store - Free
https://www.amazon.com/Voice-Aloud-Reader-read-aloud/dp/B00AR3AQ0O/ref=sr_1_1?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1486397867&sr=1-1&keywords=%40voice+aloud+reader

Voice Dream Reader

Voice Dream Reader is an excellent reading program that will read PDF, Word, Text, HTML, and ePub. It will also read documents for people that have a Bookshare.org subscription. Voice Dream can also display either the original llayout of the PDF or a plain text document when reading PDF files. Voice Dream highlights text as it reads through the document.

On Android it is better if files are opened with Voice Dream than if files are imported with the Add button in the app like on iOS. This seems to be the trick with most reading apps used on Android.

Google Play Store - $9.99
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=voicedream.reader&hl=en
Amazon App Store - $9.99
https://www.amazon.com/Voice-Dream-LLC-Reader/dp/B016X2HCRC/ref=sr_1_1?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1486398946&sr=1-1&keywords=Voice+Dream+Reader

PDF to Speech Pro

PDF to Speech Pro can read PDF, ePub, word doc, and plain text formats. It also works well with TalkBack. PDF to Speech Pro will read documents in the background as if it is a media player.

Using Dropbox with PDF to Speech Pro

You cannot open files on Dropbox directly from PDF to Speech Pro. You will need to have the Dropbox App installed to access those documents. You can Access books on Dropbox by opening its app and when you open a file you choose to open it with PDF to Speech Pro. A demonstration can be found at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCsAjlFuif4

You can find instructional YouTube videos at this link
http://www.youtube.com/user/PdfToSpeech

You can purchase PDF to Speech Pro for $2.99 from
Google Play Store
Amazon App Store for Android

Moon Plus Reader Pro

Moon+ Reader Pro reads epub, txt, and pdf This app does not work at all with TalkBack. It does work better with Dropbox.

To Turn on the TTS

Controls for Text to Speech

At the bottom of the app there are buttons for Play, Pause, Skip Back by Page or Paragraph, Stop, or Skip forward by Paragraph or Page. You can use gestures to swipe one finger up or down to adjust volume and swipe two fingers up or down for speech rate.

Pulling in files from Dropbox

  1. Go to the Moon+ Reader Pro Home screen
  2. Press the local files icon on the left side
  3. Press Dropbox
  4. You need to Login to Dropbox
  5. Press Allow to give the App permission to access all files and folders on Dropbox
  6. Press a file to download it to Moon+ Reader
  7. The file will open

This file will now appear in the apps library.

This app is available for $4.99 from
Google Play Store
Amazon App Store for Android

Dropbox

We can send your alternative textbooks to you via Dropbox. This will make them available to you faster and on any of your devices. To get files on your Android phone or tablet you will need to download the Dropbox app.

You can get the Dropbox app for free from
Google Play Store

Text to Speech Voices

There are many text to speech engines available on the Google Play Store. The voices that you download for android can be used in all apps that use TTS features. If you are not happy with the built-in voices for Android or are looking for something higher quality you can check out the following voices.

Ivona

The Ivona Text-to-Speech Engine HQ is the app that controls the various Ivona voices. There are Ivona voices for several languages like English, Spanish, German, and Polish. The Ivona Voices are free for download during the Beta testing period. There is no indication of what the prices will be when the Beta expires. You will be able to find them if you search the Google Play Store for Ivona. Amazon purchased the Ivona text to speech software and makes it available for free to users of Kindle Fire devices.

To download Ivona Text-to-Speech HQ for free at the Google Play Store
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ivona.tts
Ivona Kendra US English
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ivona.tts.voicebeta.eng.usa.kendra

eSpeak

This is a more robotic voice that can read at very high speeds. Most people will not like the quality of the voice. It is intended for people that like to read at high speeds and are more comfortable with older text to speech engines. It reads in 40 languages. It is also free.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.googlecode.eyesfree.espeak

Cereproc

These are high quality voices that can be purchased relatively cheaply. The voices are around $1.62 each. The US English voice is named Katherine. It can be found at
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cereproc.Katherine

Acapela

The Acapela Text to Speech engine has the widest range of High quality voices. You can even get an evil bad guy or a voice that sounds like yoda. The Acapela voices are more expensive per voice than other paid engines at around $4.59 each. The Acapela control panel is free but the voices are bought individually via an in app purchase. You can download the Acapela TTS engine at
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.acapelagroup.android.tts