Support for reading and writing

We can assist you

If you need support with reading and writing you can:

• get a personal introduction by librarians to the available support
• listen to your course literature
• study in calm resource rooms
• use assistive technology on your computer.

Who are qualified to receive reading and writing support?

Reading and writing support is available for you with:

• difficulties with reading, absorbing information and comprehending text, such as dyslexia
• visual impairments
• hearing impairments
• neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism, adhd or add
• a physical impairment that makes printed books difficult to handle
• a temporary reading impairment, for example caused by illness.

Personal introduction

You can book one of our librarians for a personal introduction to the available support. At the introduction we will demonstrate computer programs that makes reading and writing easier. We will also create an account for you so that you can borrow "talking books" in audio formats from the digital library Legimus.

Use the library contact form to book a personal introduction or ask a question. Use the subject area "Support for reading and writing".

Contact the library

Adapted course literature

You have the right to get access to your mandatory textbook in an adapted format if you have trouble reading printed books. For instance, you may need to listen to it or read it using various aids instead. The most common adaptation is getting your literature in an audio format, so called "talking books".

Use an app or a computer to listen to talking books

You borrow books in audio format from the digital library Legimus. Our librarians help you to get access to the service. We can also help with navigating the Legimus home page, since it's in Swedish.

You can listen to the books through your computer or using an app on your phone or tablet. 

Legimus

Order adapted course literature that's not already available

If your mandatory textbook is not available in Legimus you may order it via the library. Order the adaptation of the book in good time before you need it. Just producing the book will take Legimus around 8-12 weeks.

Order recording or adaptation of course literature

Resource rooms and computers with assistive technology

Resource rooms

If you need an extra calm environment or adaptations when studying you can gain access to our resource rooms. In the rooms you find computers with

• advanced spelling programs
• screen magnification software
• speech synthesis
• scanner.

There are three resource rooms at the central university library and a temporary resource room at the Medical library.

Contact us to get authorised for use of the resource rooms.

Contact the library

Book resource room

Computer programs in the resource rooms

For reading:

• Claro read plus - speech synthesis
• Claro bookreader - speech synthesis for pdf files
• Zoom text - a magnifying program with speech synthesis
• Easy reader - program for reading talking books on a computer
• Easy converter - program for converting Word-documents to talking books

For writing:

• Spell right 2 - spelling software
• Gustavas ordböcker - dictionaries in Swedish/English and Swedish with speech synthesis and word prediction
• Omnipage - optical character recognition (OCR) program, making many different file formats and documents searchable and possible to edit

Programs to download to your computer

All students at Umeå university can download programs that make reading and writing easier. The programs aid through:

• speech synthesis
• spelling and grammar checks
• predicting and suggesting words.

Find more information about the available programs on the student web:

Software for students

We work with support for reading and writing

Henrik Andersson Librarian

Email

+46 90 786 90 84

Ulrika Lindén Librarian

Email

+46 90 786 88 06

Maria Martinsson Librarian

Email

+46 90 786 59 92

Annika Pudas Librarian

Email

+46 90 786 91 73