Resources
Online learning tools
Read&Write Software
Freely available to all students for for at-home use, this program can read PDFs, Word documents, and webpages out loud, including Moodle content. It includes a dictation feature called Talk&Type, so you aren't limited to your keyboard when writing. It can also help you make more efficient study notes, provide word prediction when writing essays and reports, and so much more. Read&Write is freely available (and completely optional) to all TRU students, staff, and faculty, and can be accessed by following these steps:
- Have a look at Read&Write for more information. You’ll see instructions to download Read&Write. Please sign in to Read&Write with the Microsoft option, and use your TRU email address.
- After you’ve installed Read&Write, feel free to play around with the program and see what it can do. If you find it helpful to learn from videos, we recommend a great YouTube playlist that goes over the features in more detail. IT Services has more resources on the Read&Write software.
If you have any questions about Read&Write, or encounter compatibility issues with Moodle or other online content, please don’t hesitate to email the Assistive Technology Specialist at as@tru.ca.
Accessible Online Teaching Tips for Faculty
Free course on supporting students with disabilities in BC post-secondary
TRU Resources
BC Campus Resources
Moodle Documentation and Tips
- Moodle Accessibility (Moodle)
- Providing extra time for students in Moodle assessments (Moodle)
- Moodle Text Editor Tools (Louisiana State University)
For support with Moodle, please contact moodlesupport@tru.ca.
Other Helpful Resources
- Your Course Accessibility Checklist (Campus Technology)
- IT Accessibility Checklist & Tutorial (University of Washington)
- Accessible Education Material & Media (SNOW Inclusive Learning and Education)
- Remote Learning Resources (Center for Applied Special Technology)
- Accessibility in E-Learning (Accessible Campus)
- Alternative Assessment Ideas (University of Western Ontario)
- 20 Tips for Teaching an Accessible Online Course (University of Washington)
- Quality Captioning (Captioning Key)
Helpful Apps and Browser Extensions for Students
Please note: TRU does not officially endorse any of the following apps or extensions. Please read the terms and conditions carefully for any app, and use at your own discretion.
For focus, organization, and time management
- 2Do
- Any.do
- Be Focused
- Bear Focus Timer
- Brain Focus Productivity Timer
- Digital Wellbeing (Android feature)
- Doo
- Due
- Engross
- Flipd
- Focus Booster
- Forest
- Google Calendar, Keep, & Tasks
- HazeOver
- Microsoft To Do (included with your free TRU Microsoft Office 365 access)
- Mindful Browsing
- Momentum
- Motion
- OneDrive (included with your free TRU Microsoft Office 365 access)
- OneTab
- Priority Matrix
- Remember the Milk
- RescueTime
- Routinist
- Screen Time (iPhone/iPad feature)
- Toby
- Todoist
- uBlock Origin
For flash-card studying
For mind-mapping
For note-taking
For relaxation and mental health management
Accessibility Apps
Information on Disabilities
General Information
- Disability Types
- Adaptech Research Network: Focus is on accessibility and communication technologies in post-secondary
- Ottawa Network for Education
- Canadian Mental Health Association
- Autism Society of Canada
- National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS)
- What is ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)?
Resources for faculty
- Accessing Services at TRU
- Understanding Asperger Syndrome: A Professor’s Guide
- Universal design of learning:
- Council of Ontario Universities: Accessible Campus:
- Your Course Accessibility Checklist
- The University of Calgary’s resources on Supporting Students with Disabilities
- Lynda.com's course, Teaching Techniques: Making Accessible Learning
Learning disability information
Learning strategy information
Disability and career-related information
Videos
Assistive Technology Resources
General Links
- SNOW - Inclusive Design Research Centre, OCAD University, Toronto, Ontario
- Adaptech Research Network - Free and Inexpensive Adaptive Technology Database
- Assistive Technology BC - Skills Development
- Accessibility Quick Guide
Accessibility Technology & Tools
Assistive technology videos
K3000 v13
K1000 v13
Dragon Naturallly Speaking V12
JAWS for Windows
- Quick Start Guide
- Webinars:
- Free Download available on Freedom Scientific
Read&Write
- Vocabulary List Builder
- Training Guide
- Tools for the Writing Process
- Support Tools for Students with Dyslexia
- Support Tools for International Students
- Study Strategies for Higher Education Students
- Read&Write Resource Links:
- Quick Start Guide
- Quick Reference Guide
- Let's Get It Read!
- Key Tools for Specific Higher Ed Needs
Creating a Universal Classroom
Accessibility Services strives to create classrooms that transcend physical or mental capabilities and learning styles. These are known as universal classrooms. Watch the videos below to create universal classrooms of your own.
