Zoomtext

What does ZoomText do?

ZoomText Magnifier/Reader was designed for use by people with a visual impairment. It is a fully integrated magnification and screen reading program that enlarges, enhances and reads aloud everything on the computer screen. It offers a variety of tools, each with unique characteristics that lend themselves to particular viewing or reading tasks.

For example, there is a full range of flexible magnification levels up to 36 times the original size of whatever is on the screen. Colour controls allow you to improve screen clarity, choose your preferred colours or replace problem colours, all of which help to reduce eyestrain. You can also read documents in a special environment where text is reformatted for easier viewing.

When documents, web pages or emails are read to you, each word is highlighted as it is spoken. You can choose from a variety of speech synthesisers, including NeoSpeech which is recognised for its human-sounding voice quality. Echo settings allow you to fine-tune the amount of information spoken according to your personal needs and you can create reading zones which allow you to see and hear instantly up to ten selected areas within an application window.

Where can I access ZoomText?

• Information Commons Level 1: PC 1059

How do I access ZoomText?

• Login to one of the PCs listed above
• Either click on the ZoomText icon on the desktop or from the Start menu at the bottom left-hand corner of the PC screen, select:
•      Programs
•      ZoomText 9.1
•      ZoomText 9.1

The ZoomText user interface (illustrated below) will appear on the PC screen. This contains all the controls for operating the software.

How do I use ZoomText?

• Either click on the ZoomText button on the user interface to enable or disable the software or use hotkey Alt + Insert to activate ZoomText and Alt + Delete to deactivate it
• To display the user interface at any point, simply click on Ctrl + Shift + U
• There are various hotkeys, i.e. key combinations, which execute ZoomText commands without having to activate the ZoomText user interface. Hotkeys exist for almost all ZoomText features, allowing you to control the software while another program is active. Further details are provided in the user guides (please see Quick links)
• To exit the ZoomText features, press Esc, right-click the mouse or, where indicated in the user guides, enter the hotkey again

Further help with ZoomText

Please refer to:

• The help tool  This is displayed as a question mark on the right-hand side of the ZoomText user interface. Click on the button or use hotkey Ctrl + Shift + H to activate. Then click on the name beneath an icon for an explanation of its functions and the corresponding hotkey
• The user guides from Quick links (Magnifier tab, Reader tab and Hotkeys)
• The context-sensitive help which is available for all functions
• The online Help system (select Help from the ZoomText menu bar and then ZoomText Help)
• The visual tutorial. You can access this from the Start menu at the bottom left-hand corner of any PC on which ZoomText is installed and then select:

•      Programs
•      ZoomText 9.1Tutorial
•      ZoomText Tutorial

Further information and comments

If you would like further information or wish to comment on any aspect of the service, please contact us by:

• Email: lib-support@sheffield.ac.uk
• Telephone: (0114) 222-7294
• Visiting the Information Commons
• Post: The Diversity Manager, Information Commons, University of Sheffield, 44 Leavygreave Road, Sheffield, S3 7RD
• The feedback form