Dolphin guide software uk

Compare Editions. Free accessible reading app for people who are visually impaired or dyslexic Accessible reading for people who are visually impaired or dyslexic A fully-customisable reading experience, with magnification and audio Download and read books from your favourite accessible book libraries Fully compatible with VoiceOver and TalkBack. More Information. Courses for Professionals No upcoming Courses for Professionals.

All Courses for Professionals. All Webinars. While providing as much flexibility as possible, the developers of Guide have been careful to break all tasks down into simplified steps, and to provide clear, consistent feedback about what is happening on the computer screen at all times. When evaluating Guide, it is important to remember that the software has been developed for three types of user:. Guide presents all tasks as numbered menu items.

At the main menu, for example, you will hear instructions such as "Press 1 for E-mail; Press 2 to write a letter or document…" It is possible to access these menus using the Arrow keys or by directly typing the appropriate number on the keyboard. There are nine items on the main menu, with submenus under the main items, so all choices are easily available via direct number access.

I installed the day demonstration of Guide, available from the Dolphin Website. As is typical of most programs, there is a simple install along with the option to customize the installation if you're comfortable with that kind of thing.

I chose the simple installation option and followed the prompts with no difficulty. Guide provided a recurring "please wait" message as files were being installed. I instructed Guide not to load at start-up. Guide loaded with Nuance's familiar Vocalizer Tom voice after I rebooted my computer following initial installation, but did not load on subsequent reboots, which was my preference. The program can be shut down by pressing the ESC key until a menu is reached which allows the user to either shut down Guide and leave the computer running, or shut down the software and turn off the computer.

A chime and message announce the launch and exit of Guide. It is almost impossible to think about using a computer without considering e-mail. Guide handles e-mail in a straightforward manner that also allows for some flexibility. A Gmail account is recommended, although other providers may work as well. It is possible to use a wizard—which will provide step-by-step assistance—to set up e-mail, or customize settings as needed. Guide announces the number of the message that is being downloaded, and reads the entire message on request.

The F8 key starts document reading if Guide's automatic reading has been interrupted, and F9 stops reading. Standard Arrow key navigation and text selection is possible, but Guide provides an interesting alternative to traditional document navigation. The F4 key moves back one word at a time in the document, while F5 moves forward one word at a time.

The F3 key moves back a sentence at a time while F6 moves forward through the document by sentence. This key placement allows for an identifiable gap between the backward navigation keys and the forward navigation keys.

The F1 key can be pressed at any time when using Guide for help. If the user doesn't remember how to work with a message, F1 will provide a comprehensive set of commands for working with messages. While Guide's e-mail client might not appeal to the power user who reads hundreds of messages per day, the beginning or more novice user who simply wishes to communicate with friends and family will find it more than adequate.

It is possible to act on several messages at once by selecting them with the spacebar. They can be deleted, moved to folders for later action, and pretty much anything else one would expect. If e-mail is important to every computer user, working with documents has to tie for first place.

Whether it's writing a letter, making a grocery list, or blogging, we all spend quite a bit of time using our word processor of choice. Guide covers the bases where this is concerned as well. Guide provides a letter-writing wizard that will make sure the document is properly formatted. If you've already entered addresses into Guide's address book, it is simple to fill in all of the pertinent information for the recipient of the letter from there, or the address can be typed manually.

Once the letter has been written, Guide will assist with printing the letter as well as addressing and printing an envelope. While working with documents, a press of the ESC key shows all the actions that can be performed on the document. If more information is needed, the F1 key brings up help. A dictionary, thesaurus, and spell checker are also available, along with a friendly duck quack sound to let you know that a misspelled word has been detected.

Finally, Guide provides ascending and descending tones as one moves through a document with the Up and Down Arrow keys. The lower the tone, the farther down you are in the document. It is possible to select text and apply formatting such as bold, italics, underlining, etc. In short, I found document creation to be quite satisfactory with Guide.

Using a computer without being connected to the Internet is hard to imagine these days. If you need help finding the right solution for yourself or a client, Dolphin is offering a free Essential Guide to Assistive Technology for the Home. Download this helpful guide to explore a range of assistive technology products for people experiencing sight loss. Magnification, speech or braille for your favourite Windows apps; choose a SuperNova edition that suits your visual impairment.

EasyReader is a free app which makes reading more accessible for readers who are visually impaired, have a neurodiverse condition such as dyslexia or any other print impairment.

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