This document provides instructions for setting up and using the Text-to-Speech feature on MacBook Pro to help students with disabilities or reading difficulties. It explains how to enable the feature in System Preferences, choose a voice and speaking rate, set a keyboard shortcut to trigger the reading of selected text, and customize settings for individual students. Additional text-to-speech programs for iPad, PC, and web-based options are also listed.

1. Using the Text-to-Speech
feature on MacBook Pro
Hello!
How to make on-screen text come alive!

2. Why use Text-to-Speech?
• Students with disabilities
– Vision
– Dyslexia
– Reading Comprehension
– Physical limitations

3. Go to the in the
top left corner of the
menu bar, click and
choose “System
Preferences”.

4. Under “System”, choose “Speech”

5. “Text to Speech” should be highlighted

6. Under “System You can preview the voice and
Voice” choose speaking rate by clicking “Play”
the appropriate
voice.
Under
“Speaking Rate”
choose the
appropriate
speaking speed for
your student(s).

7. Next we are going to set the
text-to-speech feature to speak to the
student when the text is highlighted
and a key combination is pressed.

8. Place a checkmark in Click “Set Key…” to
“Speak selected text set a key combination.
when key is pressed”

9. Now choose a key combination that you and your
student will remember.
We will use Control+T as an example.
Remember you must highlight the text on the computer
screen, then press the set key combination (in this case,
Control+T) in order for the student to hear the text.

10. To change more VoiceOver
Settings, click
“Open Universal Access
Preferences…”

11. You can personalize the computer for each student no matter
what disability: Click on each tab below to change settings:
“Seeing” “Hearing” ”Keyboard” “Mouse & Trackpad”

12. Click the following link to see example
of the Text-to-Speech feature:
http://teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?
video_id=270954
Note: Video may not play in Firefox;
utilize Safari, Chrome, or Internet Explorer

13. Other Text-to-Speech Programs
iPad
–iSpeech (free) Web-based
–Speak It! ($1.99) –Text2speech
PC
–Windows XP and Vista
–Natural Reader
•Also available for MAC
•Free download available
–Text to Speech Converter
•Free download

14. If you have any questions or
comments about the tutorial,
please see C. Shanko in
room 120!