When I was in undergrad, I did not have very strong screen reader skills and often struggled to listen to textbooks, journal articles, or required readings for my classes as a student with low vision that was prone to visual fatigue and did not have much experience with audio formats. As I worked on learning to manage my visual fatigue and develop auditory access skills, I explored several other options like using Amazon Alexa to help with reading textbooks, using text-to-speech, and occasionally requesting a human reader to help with particularly complex text; sometimes I would follow along with text in large print, while other times I would just listen. Here is a list of tools and strategies that I have used to listen to textbooks with low vision, which I use in addition to large print materials in school.
Read Kindle books with Amazon Alexa
When I published the first version of this post in 2018, it was titled “How Amazon Alexa Can Help You Read” and shared several ways to use the Amazon Echo smart speakers to read text out loud; I expanded the post to include more options for listening to textbooks for visually impaired students. For students that purchase or rent eTextbooks from the Kindle Store, the option to have a screen-free way to access textbooks with voice control can be useful for reading or reviewing content.
Asking Alexa to read from Kindle will open up the most recent book in the Kindle library and start reading from the last saved location in the book. Books are read out loud with Alexa’s voice and users can adjust playback settings with their voice, including:
- Asking for a specific Kindle book title
- Sharing more information about the book being read
- Pause, stop, or restart reading the book
- Navigate through the book by chapters, or by time intervals
- Slow down/speed up Alexa’s reading speed
- Set or cancel a timer for Alexa to stop reading
To enable playing Kindle books, users will need to enable the Kindle Assistive Reader in the Alexa app, which can be found in the Settings menu under Accessibility. Titles must have support for text-to-speech to be compatible with the Amazon Alexa. While this is not commonly available for textbooks, users can also purchase discounted Audible narration tracks that typically use a human reader voice and can also be played on an Echo device.
Related links
- Amazon Kindle App and Low Vision Accessibility
- How I Use Send-To-Kindle With Low Vision
- How I Use My eReader For School and Online Classes
- Mainstream Technology and Low Vision: Smart Speakers
Requesting audio textbooks for college
For students that cannot access textbooks in standard print due to a print disability or visual impairment, accessible textbooks (also known as alt format textbooks/alternate format textbooks) can be requested in digital formats that can be accessed with large print, braille, or in other audio formats. I prefer to request EPUB files that I can pair with another text-to-speech program (my university offers licenses for Natural Reader), but students can also request MP3 versions or audio textbooks/textbook audiobooks as well.
Other sources for accessing textbooks in audio formats for students with visual impairments can include:
- Audileo, which offers audiobook versions of OpenStax textbooks
- Bookshare, which offers MP3 and DAISY formats when available for textbooks
- Learning Ally audiobooks
- Louis database from American Printing House for the Blind
For K-12 students in public schools, NIMAC state coordinators can also request textbooks in audio formats; AIM-VA provides audio textbooks for students with print disabilities in Virginia.
Related links
- Audileo™ – OpenStax Audiobooks/Audio Textbooks for University & College Students
- Louis – Search & Discovery
- How I Find Research Sources In Accessible Formats
- Receiving Accessible Educational Materials With NIMAC and AIM-VA
- How To Request Accessible Textbooks In College
Built-in read aloud for journal articles and textbook sections
Sometimes, my professors assign an excerpt of a textbook chapter available from the university library, or a list of journal articles in lieu of reding from a textbook. Instead of using a screen reader or enabling text-to-speech, some publishers offer options to listen to articles or built-in read aloud tools, which can be helpful for reducing visual fatigue from reading large amounts of text. While the Listen feature is not available for all articles, I have used it for articles and textbook excerpts from the following sources:
- Taylor & Francis Group (T&F)
- EBSCO host articles in HTML format
- O’Reilly (select books)
Another option is to enable built-in read aloud tools or text-to-speech within a web browser or another offline reading application. While users can’t download a separate audio track for later listening, these tools are helpful for audio-supported reading for print materials. Examples of tools I have used for my classes include:
- Microsoft Immersive Reader (built into Edge and Word)
- Microsoft Edge PDF reader, which supports Read Aloud
- Google Reader Mode
- Speak screen/Speak selection for iOS/Mac
- Select-to-speak for Android/ChromeOS
- Ctrl + Shift + U read aloud shortcut in Microsoft Edge
Related links
- How I Use Microsoft Immersive Reader With Low Vision
- Google Reader Mode and Low Vision
- Customize Microsoft Edge Accessibility For Low Vision
- How To Use Text-To-Speech With Low Vision
- How To Use Select-to-speak on Android
Text-to-speech for academic papers: Multiple options
There has been an explosion of AI tools for reading academic papers that use enhanced synthesized speech voices that can pronounce complex words or equations more fluently compared to other forms of text-to-speech software. These tools transform articles to audio formats with options for displaying text simultaneously or listening to content without having to look at a screen. I have used Natural Reader through my university for generating audio versions of textbook chapters or journal articles, though there are also specialty services like Audemic and Listening that can be used for reading papers/articles (not textbooks).
From the perspective of low vision access, I have used the following apps to import PDFs or EPUB titles/articles to have them read out loud:
- Voice Dream (iOS); I have been using this for years so am not required to purchase an annual subscription, but this application offers the most customizations for blind/low vision readers
- Legere Reader (Android); Voice Dream clone for Android, available as one-time purchase.
- Instapaper (multiple platforms)
- Dolphin EasyReader (iOS/Android)
- Natural Reader
- Vox Libri (iOS)
For screen reader users, add-ons, screen reader scripts, and plugins can also be downloaded/configured for reading academic content like equations and code snippets, while tools like Skim Reading and Text Analyzer in JAWS can be used for navigating content or identifying formatting details.
What about human readers?
As I mentioned earlier in the post, I have used human readers a handful of times for listening to articles or textbooks. Typically, I would use a visual interpreter service like Aira (as my university offers free Aira access), but I have also requested human reader accommodations through Disability Services or through an on-campus tutoring or resource center. I have friends who have a set amount of hours each week (usually 5-10) to meet with a reader who helps them with accessing articles or complex texts, but I prefer to use visual interpreting apps or text-to-speech applications when possible; I was granted temporary access to a reader accommodation when I temporarily lost my usable vision due to eye swelling.
Related links
- Voice Dream Reader – Text to Speech App
- Instapaper Accessibility For Visual Impairment
- Using Aira With Low Vision
- Common Classroom Accommodations For Low Vision
- Disability Accommodations For Fluctuating Eyesight
Bookshare reader for eTextbooks
Bookshare Reader is a web application that can be accessed on any device, and can access both print and audio versions of Bookshare content with the built-in audio player. Bookshare Reader is also available as an Amazon Alexa skill, though users will need to download the content from the Bookshare website in an audio format and add it to a reading list titled “Amazon Alexa” for access.
Bookshare titles can also be read with other applications like Voice Dream or Natural Reader; I recommend downloading titles in responsive formats like EPUB or Word when possible for best results.
Related links
- Reading Bookshare Titles With Microsoft Word
- Ten Cool Things You Didn’t Know About Bookshare
- Read with Smart Speaker | Bookshare
eTextbook platforms that offer text-to-speech
Many eTextbook platforms offer support for built-in text-to-speech or read aloud, such as Pearson, Cengage, McGraw-Hill, and VitalSource. With that in mind, not all eTextbooks support text-to-speech; information about whether a textbook supports text-to-speech can typically be found on the product listing or product description. If a book does not have text-to-speech enabled, it is reasonable to assume that it does not support screen reader access and users will need to request an accessible copy (alternative format) of the content from their institution.
Related links
More resources for accessing audio versions of textbooks and academic content
- Some of the optional readings for my classes are available on Libby/OverDrive, which also offers eAudiobooks and options for listening to content read out loud. Learn more in Reading Magazines With The Libby App And Low Vision
- Interested in accessibility features available in popular eReading applications? I share comprehensive information about font sizes and more in Mainstream eReader Apps and Low Vision Accessibility
- Looking for accessible picture books for visually impaired readers? Check out How To Find Accessible Picture Books For Low Vision
- Want to learn more about assistive technology? Read A to Z of Assistive Technology For Low Vision
Published January 4, 2018. Updated February 2026