Wichita State has implemented a new accessibility software at the beginning of the fall 2024 semester, which can be accessed using WSU credentials.
The Office of Student Accommodations & Testing (OSAT) recently received a site license for Kurzweil 3000 with funding provided by the Student Government Association. After individual testing the previous summer semester, it is now available for all students, staff and faculty at WSU.
Kurzweil 3000 is an assistive technology program that can be accessed using WSU login credentials. The software can be run on Windows and Mac, and on the web browsers Chrome, Firefox and Outlook.
The software was tested with individual students during the summer and widely implemented
Missy Tatum, a former occupational therapist in the K-12 system who works closely with Kurzweil 3000, joined Isabel Medina Keiser, director of OSAT, and Joshua Roeder, an access coach, for a Zoom presentation on Sept. 23, to explain the software to students, faculty and staff.
“We all have different learning styles and Kurzweil builds on that … so that it works for everybody,” Tatum said.
Students can open any PDF of online textbooks into 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 to play text-to-speech at slower and fast speeds.
“I know some students like to listen at twice the speed,” Roeder said, “People who have learned about it have just raved about it. How useful it’s been.”
It also includes several built-in dictionaries including a photo and children’s dictionary, as well as a thesaurus and translations for more than 70 languages.
Students can open documents to work on within the program, with the option to use built-in template outlines for writing papers and utilize graphic organizers for brainstorming and notes for reminders. Tests can be taken within the program, certain features can be locked away to prevent cheating.
“I asked one of the students to come in and just tell me what he thought of the program,” Keiser said. “And he came in and started crying. He says, ‘Now I’m going to go for my master’s.’” Students curious about how to use the software can attend a second Zoom presentation Friday, Sept. 27 at 9 a.m. or contact OSAT to learn more.
