Computers & Software

Alarmy (iOS and Android)

Will not shut off until you do one of several options: complete a math problem, take a picture, or shake your phone.

Walk Up (iOS) Walk Me Up (Android)

Alarm won't turn off until you get out of bed and walk around.

SpinMe Alarm Clock (iOS and Android)

Does not turn off until you get out of bed and spin in a circle.

Headspace: Meditation & Sleep

Guided meditation and breathing app

Fabulous: Self Care

App that helps you establish positive habits.

Down Dog

Yoga app that tailors work outs to your goals.

Prana Breath

Breathing app for more experienced users. Dives right into exercises with little explanation.

Dictate for Word Add-In

Dictation is standard in MS Office 365. This article explains how to use dictation in Word 365.

Mac Dictation

support.apple.com/en-us/HT203085 - Dictation is standard in MacOS. 

Voice Typing for Google Docs

Voice Typing is under the Tools menu. Large number of commands allow you to fully edit a document with your voice. 

Word mobile app

Use your phone's speech recognition for a simple dictation solution. 

Sonocent

Note taking software, CDAR provides the software to students with an approved note taking accommodation.

LiveScribe Echo Smartpen

Sync hand written notes with recorded audio. CDAR provides smart pens to students with an approved note taking accommodation.

Microsoft OneNote

Free note taking software from Microsoft. Includes web clipper, synchronized audio and typed notes, ink-to-text for stylus users, and Immersive Reader reading and writing tool.

Evernote

Take and organize notes. Basic version is free, subscription required for some features.

Forest (iOS and Android)

Helps you stay off your smart phone and focused on work.

Productivity Owl (Google Chrome Add-In)

Monitors time spent on web pages and closes tabs if you spend too much time on a page.

Flashcard apps

Brainscape, Quizlet, and many more. Search the App or Play store. Different apps have different features, so try a few until you find one you like.

Focus At Will

focusatwill.com/ - Subscription music service, two week free trial. Plays music designed to help you focus.

mynoise.net

mynoise.net/ - White noise service lets you pick the type of white noise that works best for you.

Khan Academy

khanacademy.org/ - Videos on a range of topics. Watch at Khan Academy to avoid getting distracted by YouTube suggestions.

Wolfram Alpha

Paid iOS and Android app. Step by step instructions for complex math and science problems.

Natural Reader

naturalreaders.com/ - Reads most file formats. Most common text-to-speech software U of I students use.

Balabolka

cross-plus-a.com/balabolka.htm - Windows only - Open source text-to-speech program that allows users to save audio as MP3 or WAV file.

Mac Text-to-Speech

Text-to-speech is built into Macs. Can select sections of text to read, or send text to iTunes. Mac TTS YouTube Video

Firefox

Mozilla Firefox has built in text-to-speech. Click the page icon in the address bar to switch to reader mode, then click the sound wave icon to have web pages read back. 

Microsoft Edge

To use Microsoft Edge's built in text-to-speech, click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select "Read Out Loud".

NVDA Screen Reader

nvaccess.org/ - Non Visual Desktop Access - Free open source screen reader.

Microsoft Immersive Reader

Only available in Microsoft Office 365. Click on View tab, then Learning Tools.

OneDrive

Save your work in the cloud so you don't lose it. All UI Students, Faculty and Staff have a OneDrive account. Log in at office.com.  Students with a note taking or alternate format text accommodation access materials through OneDrive.

Ava

ava.me/ - Captioning app, free for five hours a month. Allows group conversations and shows which captions go with which speaker.

Live Transcribe

Free Android transcription app. Doesn't support group chat like Ava.

Seeing AI

iPhone app for people with visual impairments. Features include face description, bar code reader and room description.

OpenDyslexic Font

opendyslexic.org/ - Free font that is designed to be easier for people with dyslexia to read.

Predictive Text

Built in to Mac and Windows 10. Turn on by going to settings, keyboard settings.

ColorVeil

aurelitec.com/colorveil/windows/download/ - Applies a colored tint to computer screen. Great for students sensitive to bright screens or specific colors. Portable version runs from flash drive so students can use in University computer labs.